Black Ops III - Classified Species
by GeminiZKnight
Summary: A year after his capture, Menendez escapes from prison, just as he promised David, with the aid of a mysterious young girl wielding an equally mysterious weapon. Now it is up to David to end things once and for all, but he soon finds out there's more to Menendez's new plot than meets the eye.
1. Chapter 1

This story is based on the 'best' ending. I do not claim ownership to Elfen Lied or the Call of Duty franchise.

The Menendez Crisis is over, the Second Cold War has been peacefully resolved, and David has been reunited with his father after 30 long years. All seems right with the world; only it isn't.

A year after his capture, Menendez escapes from prison, just as he promised David, with the aid of a mysterious young girl wielding an equally mysterious weapon. Now it is up to David to end things once and for all, but he soon finds out there's more to Menendez's new plot than meets the eye; namely, his army of pseudo-little girls with vivid hair and horns growing from their heads. Who, or better yet, what, are these bizarre children, and what does Menendez plan to do with them? What can JSOC even hope to do against such a force?

Win, of course.

One year. That's how long it's been since David stopped Raul Menendez and his twisted plan. Since then, he lived happy and content knowing that his father yet lived and the world finally knew peace. He hadn't gone on a mission for at least three months, and strangely, he didn't mind. It may be his job, but he really didn't like killing people if it can be avoided. David walked into the kitchen of his flat, pouring himself a glass of water when his cell phone suddenly rang. He took it out of his pocket and checked the caller ID. He was shocked at  
ho called him.

"Admiral Briggs?" he muttered before answering the phone. "Hello, sir. Is there something…"

The Admiral cut him off. "Cut the formalities and get your ass over here! We have a situation!" David pulled the phone away from his ear to avoid getting his eardrum blown out.

"S-Sir, I don't understand. What's the situation?" He asked, incredibly confused.

"That's classified information, soldier! I'll tell you when you get here, now MOVE!" Withthat, Briggs hung up.

Two hours later…

David boarded a military VTOL en route to the U.S.S Obama at the soonest possible time; things had to be pretty bad to set off the Admiral like that. Sure, he wasn't much for formalities; one meeting with the guy will make that obvious. But David had only ever seen him blow his top like he did on the phone when he's really pissed off about something.

Entering the briefing room, he saw that the Admiral was in the presence of several Navy SEALS, all of them high-ranking officers. "Mason, sit down," Briggs commanded through gritted teeth. He obeyed without hesitation.

Briggs brought up a holographic image of Raul Menendez that sprung up from the table,and several men flinch, including Mason; that face has been nothing but bad news ever since they first saw it.

"This...cocksucker, Raul Menendez, has escaped detainment with the aid of a young woman we've yet to identify," he spat. "As if that wasn't bad enough, his bitch is in possession of a powerful unidentified weapon; she cut down every living thing in the complex besides Menendez, and we don't have a clue how."

David stared at the Admiral in disbelief. "Sir, what kind of 'unidentified weapon'?" Inside, he was seething with rage. After everything he'd gone through to bring that bastard in, all the lives that were lost in the attempt, and now we was free again because of a single person with a fancy gun?

Brigg's expression quickly turned grim. "I think you should see for yourself," he says, bringing up a video on the holographic projector. "This was taken by a security camera during the break-out." David watched as a young girl, not even out of high school, strolled casually through the halls of the high-security prison. She wore heavy clothing, despite it being the middle of June, but the paleness of her skin gave off the impression that she was freezing. She wore a stocking cap low over her eyes, but he could see that her hair was dyed deep red,like blood.

As the clip played, several officers opened fire on the girl, only for their bullets to get deflected by an unseen force. The SEALS watched in shock and awe as the guards were suddenly eviscerated by invisible blades. The security turrets opened fire on her, but like everything else, they had no effect. As she passed by them, they began sparking and swiveling erratically before stopping altogether.

Every time she passed a cell, she stopped and stared at it as the metal door was peeled away like tin foil. Upon discovering that the prisoner was not the person she was looking for, she swiftly executed them and continued on her way.

After nearly a half-an-hour of searching, the girl finally reached the high-level detainment cell. Through the Plexiglas panes she spied Raul Menendez, staring blankly at the wall where a shattered and bloody television screen sat. Three loud bangs resonated through the hallway, and with each one, elaborate webs of cracks spread across the window. With the fourth, the whole thing shattered.

Raul turned his head in the direction of the now-broken window. His face was stoic, as if he'd been expecting her all this time. He stood up and walked through the improvised exit. He stood before the girl who had rescued him, his face emotionless, before a smile suddenly broke out across it. He clapped his hands on her shoulders and gave her a kiss on each cheek. The girl grinned back at him, saying something David couldn't understand. Raul nodded, sayingsomething in return.

Raul started to leave, but as he did, the girl came up beside him and hugged his arm. He stopped for a moment, smiled, and they continued on their way.

The briefing room was silent long after the clip stopped playing. Admiral Briggs was the first the break the uneasy peace. "As you've seen, this weapon of hers possesses incredible power. Single-handedly breaking into the U.S.'s most secure prisons and releasing the world's most dangerous outlaw is no walk in the park. And it looks like Menendez has made this freak-show his personal bitch, meaning he has her complete loyalty and, thus, full access to whatever tools she possesses."

"So basically, we're all fucked," one man said. "Raul nearly wiped us out the first time, and now he's got some Super Woman chick on his side?"

Briggs nodded. "Yes, he does, and he nearly did. I'll give him that. But his resources are low now; that girl is probably his ace-in-the-hole. We find a way to kill her, and everything will get easier from there." He turned to David. "Mason, I want you to get the best men you have to get on this. You brought Raul down the first time; if anyone's got a chance of doing it a second, it's you."

David stood up and saluted him. "Yes sir, I'll get right on it." With that, he turned and left,heading for the barracks. He didn't have to waste a second to know who he wanted on his team.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not claim ownership to Elfen Lied or the Call of Duty franchise.

While David was being briefed, King and Crosby sat together in the barracks, playing cards. The stakes were getting high, but neither of them were going to give an inch. Chips piled high on both sides.

Since he was off mission, Crosby had his mask off, revealing a pale, clean-shaven face with brown hair and blue eyes to match. King, on the other hand, was much darker and weathered, his brown skin and eyes fitting nicely with his black hair.

Crosby allowed a small smirk to break out across his poker face. "Boy, you're fucked now," he stated, laying his cards out on the table. "Read it and weep, sucker!"

King merely stared blankly at the cards for a few moments before he bursts out laughing. "Full house?! Hah, that's nothing! Check this out!" he exclaimed, showing Crosby his own cards. The man's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Four aces!? You've gotta be kidding me?!" His shoulders slumped in defeat, and King scooped up the pot.

It was at this time that David entered the room. Watching their antics brought a smirk to his face, despite the seriousness of the conversation that was going to follow. "Well, it's good to see things haven't gotten boring while I was gone," he jived, attracting the attention of his two comrades.

"Section?!" they both exclaimed, surprised to see their commander at this time.

"The one and only. The reunion will have to wait; Briggs has given me a new assignment, and I want the two of you on my squad. Think you're both up for some action?" The wide grins on their faces were enough of an answer for David. "Good, because we've got our work cut out for us this time…"

Raul sat in a rugged, but comfy chair in house his scarlet-haired companion had secured a month before his escape. Thankfully, the couple had been devout followers of Cordis Die, so she didn't have to cleave their heads off. Not only would there have been a huge mess to clean up, but Raul made it clear that he didn't want civilians killed if it could be helped. She hated to disappoint Raul.

Speaking of the girl, she laid on a couch pushed up against the opposite wall, staring at the ceiling. Her hood was down, revealing the full extent of her flowing ruby hair. It also exposed two odd white horns growing from her head. Those horns were a gift to her, as well as the bane of her existence; she went through hell and back to get where she was now, all because of those two cat ear-like protrusions.

She felt a familiar buzzing sensation in her forehead, and turned over to face a young girl, no older than 10, standing beside her. She smiled softly at the child. "Hello, Haiti. Do you need something?" she asked her. The girl looked remarkably like her, with her horns and rosy hair. There were two noticeable differences, though: her left horn had a large crack in it, and her eyes were covered with cotton gauze.

The girl tottered nervously. "C-Could you…help me with my bandages?" She pointed to the wrapping around her eyes. "My eyes are starting to hurt again…" The other girl's face instantly turned serious and nodded, despite the fact that she couldn't see.

She sat up straight and faced the blindfolded girl. Carefully, she unwrapped the gauze covering her eyes, unveiling a horrifying sight underneath. Where Haiti's eyes should have been, there were only two meaty sockets, still bleeding from when that cruel man she once called a father carved her eyes out and left her to die in the wild.

The older girl frowned; no matter how many times she saw it, it never got any easier to look at. Oh, how she wanted to hunt down that man and butcher him like the spineless pig he was. Unfortunately, Raul needed her by his side, so she couldn't afford to go out on a personal vendetta to kill a man she didn't even know. Instead, she settled for assisting Haiti in replacing her soiled bandages with new ones.

Once she was finished, Haiti let one of her rare smiles show as she hugged her elder. "Thank you, Josefina!" Josefina hugged the girl back, patting her undamaged horn gently.

"Anything for my girls. Now, go get some rest; we all have a lot of work ahead of us," she told Haiti in a motherly fashion. She nodded and immediately rushed off to do so. Her blindness didn't seem to have any hindrance on her ability to move about, thanks to her gifts.

'Or curse', Josefina thought bitterly. She could only guess that Haiti's troubled past was a result of what she was, same as herself and all of their sisters. They were a slowly dying breed in a world of hate and prejudice. She turned to look at Menendez, who was still lost in thought, and grinned. Raul was the only person to show her that not all humans were degenerate beings; that they were also capable of compassion, same as her own kind, even if they often chose not to show it. And if everything went according to plan, she and her kin would finally find the peace they had sought for so long.

'Or he will betray you, just like everyone else." A hollow voice in her head offered. "Then the extinction of the Diclonius would be on your head." It cackled cruelly before asking her, "Are you willing to sacrifice us in the hope that this human will offer salvation?" She put strong emphasis on the word human.

Josefina snarled loudly. "Shut up…" she muttered under her breath as her vision warped. When the distorted colors became clear again, she was in a dark void that seemed to stretch on forever and ever. An image of a girl wrapped in bandages appeared before her. Only half of her face was covered, but the part that showed was nearly identical to Josefina. The eight year age gap between them was the only thing that kept them from being perfect twins. It would be fitting; they were the same person after all.

"I will always be with you. Be grateful; if not for me, there's no doubt you would have perished by now." Josefina winced. As much as she hated to admit it, that was true. Her genetic instincts were the main reason why most Diclonius ever lived past the first few years of life. It forced a deep, searing hatred of humans upon them, certainly, but that wasn't entirely uncalled for; humans were the ones who killed and tortured them all. "That's right. Now, do what we were born to do; slaughter that pathetic man. We do not need him to make us a place to be."

Josefina gripped the side of her head. "No…shut up…I won't do it…" Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands clap down on her shoulders. She looked up to see Raul crouching down to eye-level in front of her. His one eye looked upon her with genuine concern. Josefina started to sniffle, then buried her face in his chest, sobbing. The voice had gone silent, but its words still echoed in her mind.

"There, there…" Raul said softly, hugging her close. "I promise, I will always protect you, my dear Josefina. I will not lose you again." Josefina, the Diclonius girl whom he had named after his beloved and deceased little sister, nodded her head against his chest, continuing to cry.

"I promise, we will make a new world, you and I."

A/N: Sorry about the last chapter, I messed something up and now it's a mess. I'll fix it if I can, but until then, please just bear with it. Anyways, in this chapter I wanted to further explain the Cortes Die side of things, and also why the Diclonius are siding with Menendez.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Elfen Lied or the Call of Duty Franchise

After her brief episode, Josefina went down into the basement, where she and the rest of the girls slept. Normally, she'd be adamant about having to stay in the basement, but it was very comfortable, especially compared to their normal accommodations, and the girls felt much safer sleeping together.  
Though none of them were related by blood, the Diclonii under Menendez had a powerful bond. They had all gone through terrible hardships together; it was a bond of blood, but not in the usual sense. It was of spilt blood, their blood, mixed with pain and horror that they had all endured that brought them together.

Josefina smiled as she walked into the main living area, where many occupied futons lay. There group consisted of Raul, Josefina, Haiti, and ten other young Diclonii that had been rescued from a facility off of coastal China. Raul found them after he raided the island facility under the impression that it was a military bunker, which was more or less correct. Josefina could remember it like it was yesterday…

A young Diclonius hung limply from the white-tiled wall, her wrist bound to it by chains. Her body was drenched in blood; her blood. The men in white seemed more sadistic than usual today; a normal person would have died long ago. Number 115 was strong, but even now she could feel her life waver with every drop of blood that seeped from her wounds.

She could hear her heartbeat, slow but powerful, pounding in her ear. It was so loud that she almost didn't notice the explosions coming from the outside. Number 115 lifted her head slightly, her ears perking at the sound of grenades blowing shrapnel through bodies. It was getting nearer, and gunshots and shouting followed it.

Number 115's body tensed, but that ploy quickly failed; she was just too weak to do fight. With so much pain, even her vectors were sluggish. If someone wanted to kill her, there was little she could do to resist.

The doors opened armed guards backed into the cells, guns firing at something down the hallway. When their bullets were met with counter-fire, they shut the doors again and locked them tight. They had no idea what they'd just walked into. 115 sneered at them, her vectors slowly reaching out to them, poised to kill.

The security shutters were blasted open, the resulting sound stunning everyone in the room, human and Diclonius alike. Several well-equipped mercenaries stormed in, mowing down one of the guards before he could fire a single shot. His partner dropped his weapon and threw his hands up in surrender.

Six mercenaries surrounded the guard, while the remaining four stood by the hole they had blown in the wall. 115 could here footsteps, slow and calm, approaching. An elderly man, his face weathered with scars and wrinkles, and one of his eyes missing, entered the room. The four mercenaries circled him defensively as he approached the cowardly guard.

The man, now quivering, prostrated himself before the old white-suited man, begging to be spared. His efforts were for naught; the man, reaching into his suit, drew a large revolver, pointed it at the man's head and, without a glimmer of sympathy in his single eye, executed him on the spot. Number 115 watched this, intrigued by the man she assumed was the leader.

The man spotted her staring at him, and his face immediately softened. He pushed through his guards and approached her, ignoring the protest of the mercenaries. As he entered her range, she tensed up again, but like before, she simply didn't have the strength to defend herself. Not that she needed to, as she would soon find out.

He knelt down in front of her, pushing his finger against her chin and tilting her head upwards. He scrutinized her, his one eye scanning her face thoroughly. When he appeared satisfied, he stood up again and pulled out his revolver. Number 115's eyes widened, then closed shut as she braced herself for what she knew was about to come, also trying hard to summon her vectors which, much to her dismay, still didn't respond.

The first shot rang out, and she felt her right arm give out and hit the floor. She opened her eyes just in time to see him shoot through the chains binding her left arm to the wall. With her restraints gone, she slumped onto the ground. Number 115 was finally free.

Before she was able to get up on her own, the man sat her upright and wrapped his arms around her in a powerful embrace. He didn't seem to mind that her blood was staining his suit. "Josefina," he muttered softly. "Do my eyes deceive me? Is it really you?" Number 115 blinked, unable to comprehend what he was saying; she didn't understand English or Spanish.

"Who are you?" she asked in fluent Chinese. "I don't know Josefina." The man pulled away slowly, though he kept his arms around her. He looked disheartened by her words.

"Josefina…no, no of course not…you couldn't be her…" he said, reaching down his shirt and pulling out a golden locket. He clicked it open, staring at it with a sad, nostalgic look on his face. Number 115 moved herself to see what was inside the locket. What she saw shocked her.

Inside was a picture of a girl, around her own age, smiling at the camera. She looked amazingly similar to 115, although she didn't have her horns and deep crimson hair.

"Josefina…" the man muttered again. Number 115 looked at his face and noticed that tears were actually starting to dribble down his cheek. In spite of herself, and her hatred of humans, she felt sympathy for him. She didn't know what relationship he had with this girl, but it was obvious they were close, and without her, he was slowly losing it.

Number 115 placed her hand on top of the man's, squeezing it tightly. He looked at her, sporting a sullen, miserable expression. She smiled slightly at him. "I…I'll be your Josefina." She could feel this man's loss, and it rivaled her own, and for that she saw him not as an ordinary human, but as someone who understood what it was like to be like her. It was, for lack of better terms, love at first sight.

The man, who she would refer to as Raul Menendez from that day forth, smiled back at her...

And now, three years later, she was going to fight alongside him. She would help him make a newer world, where she and the Diclonius could live in peace, and where Raul could put his plans for an ideal world in motion.

Josefina climbed into an empty futon and curled up inside. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day; she needed to get her sleep, as did everyone. She would've went to tell Raul the same, but she knew him well enough to know he would anyways. Yawning softly, she slowly drifted off into dreamless sleep.

A/N: I'm getting deeper into the story behind Raul and the new Josefina. Also, Josefina's original 'name', Number 115, is a reference to Element 115 from the Zombie mode story. Just thought I'd throw a little easter egg in there.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Elfen Lied or the Call of Duty franchise.

While Josefina and her kin slept soundly, Raul was plotting. He knew it was only a matter of time before the entire U.S. military was seeking him out, so he had to act fast. Until he rallied his forces once more, he had to rely on his Diclonius allies and his own wit.

He slowly reached for his locket, clicking it open to look at its contents. Inside was the old photo of Josefina, but now there was another image on the other side. It was of his surrogate Diclonius sister, whom he named Josefina in honor of his little sister, who looked so much like her. He smiled slightly.

"Josefina, it is time. I will bring an end to the corruption of this world, as promised. You and I will finally live together in peace, just like in our dreams."

* * *

At this time, David, Crosby, and King returned to the Admiralty Office. Briggs sat at his desk, shuffling through countless papers. Upon hearing them enter the room, he grunted and nudged his head towards the chairs sitting in front of his desk. The three sat down, but David noticed that there was still one more left.

"Sir, is there someone else coming with us?" David asked. Briggs put down his papers and nodded.

"Yes, Section, he should be here in a few moments. I know you're the best we've got, but I can't take chances. It's risky enough just sending a four-man squad on this mission, but I trust you use what you've got and get the job done."

A few minutes passed and the door to Brigg's office opened again. Standing in its frame was a tall, muscular man with a shaved head and an eye patch covering his right eye. One could just make out a thick scar sticking out from underneath.

"Admiral Briggs," he said plainly, nodding towards the Admiral. Briggs did the same, and motioned towards the empty seat. The man sat down in it, propping his leg over the other and leaning back, his arms crossed.

"Section, King, Crosby, this is your new teammate: Roe Whitley, codename Ranger. Whitley, this is your new squad. You will be under the command of David Mason, codename Section." Roe glanced briefly at David with his good eye before turning back to Briggs.

"Ranger is the best marksman in JSOC, bar-none," Briggs told Section. "He can dot someone's eyes from a mile away. He's also skilled in CQB, but sniping is his forte." He typed some commands into the console, bringing up two holograms, one of Raul Menendez, and the other of his mysterious savior.

"As I said earlier, the bitch broke our favorite cocksucker out of prison, and now they're loose in the States. We don't know their whereabouts, but I have every militant I can spare searching for them. Luckily, they're both hard to miss. In fact," Briggs typed on his keyboard, bringing up a hologram of another person. It was a girl with pale red hair, ruby eyes, and a pair of pure white horns. "We've already found one the girl. She's being held in the interrogation chamber as we speak. She denies everything, and has been evasive of questions, particularly the ones that pertain to her past."

"Section, I want you to go down there and see what you can get out of her. You were the only one who could get Menendez to talk, so I bet you can get her to cough up some information."

* * *

Ten minutes later…

"I didn't do anything wrong, dammit!" the girl screamed, struggling against her binds with minimal progress. She didn't look much older than 13, in contrast to Raul's companion, who looked more along the lines of 19. Still, her features were too similar to be a coincidence.

"Security footage says otherwise," Section stated bluntly.

"I've already told you a hundred times; I didn't do anything, and I've never met that woman in my life!" Her rant was followed by King backhanding her roughly across the face, causing one of her nostrils to leak with blood.

"Fucking horned-bitch! Just confess already! We know you're working with Menendez!" King shouted at her. The girl suddenly got very quiet, lowering her head so that her bangs covered most of her face.

"…so…this is because of my horns, is it?" she asked quietly. Her fingers curled into fists, and her nails punctured the soft flesh of her palms, drawing blood. Section looked at King with a scowl before turning back to the girl.

"No, this has nothing to do with horns. This is about Raul Menendez. We've got you on camera; that alone is enough to put you in prison for a very long time. Make it easier on yourself and tell us what you know." Despite his tempered words, the girl's expression didn't change. In fact, it seemed to worsen.

"…don't try to fool me…human…" she spat venomously. "You can't hide it…you enjoy hunting monsters. You hurt them, kill them. I'm just another trophy to you, aren't I?" She raised her head, revealing her eyes, which have shrunken to pale, erratic circles.

"You think I'm a monster," she said, her voice becoming dark and scratchy, like she had a bad cold. "But the only monster here…is you!" Without warning, her bindings shattered and the table separating the girl and Section broke in two. Two invisible arms sprouted from her back, one lashing out at Section, the other at King. Neither of them knew what was coming.

There was a gunshot, and the girl stiffened before collapsing, a large hole through her temple. Ranger stood in the entranceway of the interrogation room, wielding a huge pistol. A full minute passed before he holstered it again.

"Well, that takes care of that," he said, his face blank as if he hadn't just shot a young girl dead. "I guess we should tell Briggs we've taken care of Menendez's little helper. Now we have to take down the big man himself." He turned and walked away.

Section knelt down beside the body. The girl's eyes were normal again, only now they were glassy and unfocused. Gently, he slid her eyelids shut. He didn't want it to end this way. They didn't even know if she truly was the killer or not; he had just been pressuring her into confessing.

Sighing, he stood up and headed for Brigg's office. He'd want a report after this.

Upon entering the hallway to the Admiralty Office, he heard the Admiral Briggs shouting. "What do you mean we got the wrong bitch?! How many people look like that?!" Section slowly opened the door. Briggs was sitting at his desk, as usual, but he had a phone in his hand and he obviously wasn't happy with the person on the other end.

"God damn it!" he swore, ending the call and slamming the phone down on the receiver. He glanced up at Section, his moustache bristling in frustration. "Mason, we've got a problem; reports are coming in saying there have been multiple sightings of girls matching Menendez's partner, worldwide. It's a fucking epidemic."

"This is going to be harder than I thought it would be. I thought that bitch would stick out like a sore thumb, but no, turns out she's got relatives all across the globe. Some officers are attacking them on-sight; there have already been a dozen casualties, all of them horned girls."

"People are starting to get mad; people's kids are being gunned down by military personnel, and they want someone to answer for it. If this keeps up, everything's going to go straight to hell. Well, I say 'no more Mr. Nice Guy'. I want you to go out and find that woman. I want you to kill her; don't attempt to capture, don't try to negotiate. She's dangerous, and the sooner we get rid of her, the sooner we won't have to worry about any more of those devil children."

"I know you don't have any leads right now, but we're out of options. I need you to get things done, David." Section was surprised by the way Briggs addressed him; he'd never called him by his first name. Even Briggs wasn't informal enough for that. This really was serious.

"I'll get it done, sir," David stated, standing up and saluting his superior officer before heading for the helipad. It was time to pay another visit to the Vault. If anyone knew what Menendez was up to, it was Woods or his dad.

A/N: Sorry about the delay. I've had some writers block lately. I'd appreciate some reviews to know how I'm doing so far, and new ideas are always welcome.


	5. Chapter 5

Raul sat silently as he watched a report on the news channel. "Military committing genocide? It would seem so, as American soldiers have been seen shooting civilians without cause all over the world. The one thing the victims all have in common is that they are females with...unique features." A list of these 'features' came up next to the picture of the newscaster. It read: Pale skin, red eyes, vibrantly-colored hair, and two horns growing from the scalp.

Josefina, who stood behind him, was seething with rage. She felt an urge; an urge to kill, no, to slaughter the humans who dared to do this to her people. She was already using every ounce of willpower in her to keep from lashing out at the television set. She held her tongue, and allowed the newsman to continue.

"When asked about the attacks, American military officials gave no comments." The rest of the report was detailing the sites of the shootings and the efforts to identify the diseased. It also placed the civilian death-toll at 12 and counting.

Raul turned off the t.v. He looked at Josefina. "Josefina...it seems we'll need to act sooner than we planned." She smiled and nodded.

"We're ready whenever you are, Raul," she stated confidently. She was itching to get back at these American bastards, and she was sure her sisters would, too, once they heard the news.

Raul nodded. "Good. But before we begin, I have some loose ends to settle..."

* * *

The Vault was a retirement home, located in a remote area and reserved solely for the most high-ranking officers and individuals with vast military knowledge. It was highly-classified, and heavily-guarded. Not just anyone could walk in. Fortunately for David Mason, he wasn't just anyone.

A security officer led David to Woods' room, which he now shared with long-time friend, Alex Mason, who happened to be David's father. The two, combined, had more knowledge on Raul Menendez than everything the CIA had managed to scrap together since he became a threat.

The officer swiped a key-card, opening the door. On the other side was a rustic-looking room with plagues and medals lining the walls. Woods sat by the window, staring out into the world while Alex sat on the bed. Alex looked up as David came in.

"David," he muttered, standing up. David smiled slightly as his father approached. Woods turned his wheelchair around and smiled as well.

"Hey there, kid," Woods greeted. David chuckled slightly.

"Hey, old man," David countered, sitting down in an empty chair. His face quickly turned grim. "...Raul escaped, and now he's got some kind of weapon we've never seen before. You two know Menendez better than anyone. Do you have any idea what it could be?"  
Alex looked down and sighed. "Yeah, I saw the reports. Menendez was broken out by a unknown woman with an unidentified weapon...I've seen it before...a long time ago."

David leaned forward. "Tell me everything."

* * *

It was shortly after Mason had killed Dragovich. CIA intelligence caught wind of a Soviet research base buried deep in the Siberian wilderness. It was heavily-fortified, so the CIA sent their best: Alex Mason. However, what he found there would prove to be of the most horrifying moments of his life.

"Target in sight, moving to breach," Mason uttered into his comms, sidling against the wall next to a door. Pulling out a flashbang, he broke the window and tossed it inside. Upon hearing the deafening explosion of the stun grenade, muffled by the wall, he kicked in the door and mowed down everyone in the room.

Alex spotted several files littering one of the desk. He scooped it up and began scrolling through it. "Hudson, I've found some reports on the facility's activities."

"Good, Mason. What do they say?" At first, there was nothing significant about the information. Most of it was weapons testing, but many of the guns were already actively used. The only thing that stood out was the targets.

"Diclonius?" Alex muttered, reading further. All the weapons were being tested to see their effectiveness on 'Diclonius', whatever those were. According to the reports, standard-issue equipment had virtually no effect. The only weapons that were effective were AK-47s armed with armor-piercing ammunition, gatling guns, and heavy artillery weapons.

Alex froze when he heard a sound outside the door. It sounded like chains rattling. Stuffing the documents in his pocket, he pulled out his pistol and stood beside the door. When he heard the sound again, he kicked in the door and prepared to fire. Only there were no soldiers on the other side.

"What the hell...?" Alex breathed, taking in the room he found himself in. It was like a prison, only there were no prisoners. The cells' only occupants were young girls, stripped of their clothing and chained to the wall. They were deathly pale and drenched with blood, and were obviously abused and malnourished.

Alex approached one of the cells. The girl inside was long dead, her decomposed skin littered with bullet wounds. She also had a horn growing from the side of her head, and what looked to be the remains of another that had been removed. Alex stepped back and turned away. Even as hardened a soldier as he was, this was just too much.

The next cell held another girl, one that was, thankfully, still alive. Alex shot the lock of the door and entered. The second he did so, the girl lifted her head, revealing the eyes that had been veiled behind locks of red hair. They were dull and blank, almost like she really was dead. She looked at him with disgust.

"Huh...huh...human..." she panted, her piercing glare never wavering. "Have you...come to kill me...? Or would you rather...let me scream some more...?" She smirked wickedly. "Heh...no, this time...you scream for me!" The girl lunged at him, but the chains around her wrist held her back. She growled in annoyance, almost like a dog who had just lost sight of the cat he was chasing.

At first, Alex thought her pathetic attempt of vengeance just showed him how much she'd gone through. However, he didn't realize at the time that her words carried weight. Ragged claw marks raked along the metal wall, heading towards Alex. Seeing this, he quickly retreated out of the cell, drawing his pistol and firing at the girl. He didn't know what was going on, but he was being attack, and his instincts told him that this girl was responsible, as ridiculous as that sounded.

The bullets he fired simply bounced off of some sort of barrier that surrounded her. His attempt to kill her only spurred her anger on further. As his soldier instincts really began to kick in, Alex pulled a grenade off of his belt and cooked it before tossing it into the cell. The girl watch the small bomb roll up to her. She looked at it with disinterest, as if she didn't know what a grenade was. But what she said next proved him wrong.

"I'll see you again...human...in hell..." she managed to spit out before the grenade exploded. Alex never stuck around to see the effects. The moment the explosive went off, all the facility's alarms went off. He had to get out, and fast.

* * *

David looked at his dad in disbelief. "Did that...did that really happened?" he asked, unable to comprehend what he had just heard. Alex nodded solemnly. Before anyone could say another word, they were interrupted by a guard. He stood in the doorway, covered in blood that spurted from the stump that once held his arm.

"We're under at..." his warning suddenly was cut off, as well as his head. As his eviscerated body slumped to the floor, the surviving occupants look out into the hall to see two girls, one with bright pink hair and red eyes, and another with scarlet hair and eyes hidden under thick wrappings.

They both had horns growing out of their head.

* * *

A/N: No reviews yet. Hopefully this cliffhanger will get me some. I want to know what you guys think, for better or for worse, so that I can improve in the future!


	6. Chapter 6

The two girls stood there, watching them for a long time until Woods broke the silence.

"Who the hell are you two?" he asked, scowling at them. Neither of them answered. Instead, the older of the two, the one without bandaged eyes, asked a question of her own.

"You are the one named Frank Woods?" she inquired. She glanced at Alex and David. "And you are the Masons?"

"What of it?" Alex snapped at them. In reality, he felt incredibly exposed. He knew what just one of these things were capable of, and he didn't even have a handgun. The girl merely stared at him, her eyes hollow and uncaring. They lacked any form of sympathy.

"Raul Menendez wants to create a new world. We want this, as well. You, however, do not. He has deemed it necessary for you to be removed," she stated as she narrowed her eyes into an intense glare. "Permanently."

David reacted immediately. He pulled out his automatic and opened up on the two girls. Normally, he'd be hesitant to shoot a kid, even one that was threatening him, but this was different. He knew what these two were capable of, and if they came looking for a fight, he'd sure as hell give them one. The bullets flew at them, but were blocked by their vectors. To a human being, however, they appeared to be bulletproof. They both started approaching them at an agonizingly slow pace, almost mocking their ineffectiveness.

"Shit!" Woods cursed, wheeling over to a cupboard. He opened a drawer and started digging around inside of it. He eventually pulled out a Python revolver and aimed it at the older of the two girls. She didn't have any time to react as he fired. The magnum round punched through her vectors with ease and hit her in the base of the throat. Woods had been aiming for her head, but the heavy gun had a nasty kick to it. Either way, the result was the same; the girl immediately dropped to the floor. She spasmed and coughed blood for roughly three seconds before her entire body went completely limp.

Her partner, the blindfolded Diclonius, gasped in horror as she listened to her friend gurgle and choke on her own blood. When the girl stopped moving, so did she, but for other reasons. She was frozen stiff, devastated by what had just occurred. She could do nothing but stand there as David walked up to her, whipping his pistol against her head. There was a bright flash of pain, then nothing.

* * *

Hours passed before Haiti came to again. As usual, she saw absolutely nothing, but her keen ears and vectors were more than enough to determine her location. She was in some sort of tiny metal room. Her hands were bound together by cuffs, and she was tightly strapped to the chair she was sitting in. She prepared to shatter her bindings with her vectors when she felt a gun barrel press against her temple.

"Try anything, and I'll kill you. Got it?" Alex Mason asked, glaring at her. He didn't have any sympathy for an accomplice of Raul Menendez, kid or not. This girl had come here to kill him, his son, and his oldest friend. She wasn't going to get off easy.

Haiti nodded timidly. After seeing what the gun Woods used did to her sister Diclonius, she didn't want to risk being shot at by the same weapon. Besides, she despised violence; unlike most Diclonius, she bore no ill-will towards the human species. But like all the girls who followed Menendez, she would do as she was told, so long as it helped further their cause.

She heard a metal chair across from her creak as someone sat down in it. "Alright, talk. We know you're working with Menendez, so tell us where he is, and we'll let you off with your life."

"Really?" Haiti asked skeptically. She may not have ill-will for humans, but that didn't mean she was naive; she knew there were humans who were more than willing to lie, cheat, and back stab to get what they want.

"I'm not going to lie to you, no matter what you say, you're still going to be in a lot of trouble. But if you don't tell us everything you know, you won't ever leave this room alive. It's your choice." Haiti didn't have to put much thought into it. She didn't want to die; she wanted to at least live to see the new world Josefina had promised them. And besides, what was the harm in answering a few questions?

"Okay..." she whimpered, still scared for her life.

"First question: where is Raul Menendez?" Haiti's heart plummeted. Why did he have to ask that? She didn't have the slightest clue where their hideout was; she always relied on someone else for directions when it came to long-distance travel.

"I-I don't know..." Her body stiffened in fear as she heard Alex's finger tighten around the trigger. "P-Please, I really don't know!" she pleaded, cracking under the pressure. She would have started bawling if she had functioning tear ducts. She was, after all, only five years old; she only looked ten because of she was a Silpelit (quick note: Silpelits are a form of Diclonius that differ from others in that they cannot reproduce and age twice as fast as a normal human being, among other things.)

David sighed. "She's telling the truth, Dad." Christ, he hated interrogations. They were always so emotional and stressful. Shooting things was just so much easier for him. "Alright, then what do you know. Tell us everything; down to the tiniest detail."

Haiti nodded, shivering in fright. "R-Raul freed Josefina f-from a facility in Ch-China. She and some other girls started following him. He wants to make a better world, and we want to live in it. There's 12...er, 11 of us, plus Raul." She sniffled softly in remembrance of her fallen sister. "Th-that's all I can remember...please, don't kill me...I just want to live peacefully somewhere...but it's hard, so hard..." She leaned forwards and rested her head on the table, shuddering from the intense emotions that were overwhelming her.

Alex watched her for a long moment before pulling the revolver away from the girl's head. She was just another of Raul's pawns. She looked so pitiful right now that even if he wanted to shoot her, he wouldn't. This girl was far from innocent, as far as he was concerned, but her motifs were much more well-intentioned than most who joined Menendez.

* * *

An hour later, an ambulance and a humvee arrived at the Vault. The dead Diclonius was carted into the ambulance and taken away to be examined while the living one was to be taken in military custody. Alex, David, and Woods watched as the two vehicles left, leaving them alone in the silent lot.

"Well, you've got a lead," Woods commented, patting David on the back. "Pretty shitty lead, but still a lead."

David bowed his head in thought. "No...that girl gave me more than a lead...she gave me an idea."

* * *

A/N: What could David's idea be? What will Menendez do with two of his Diclonii gone? And how will Josefina react to Haiti's capture? All will be answer in the next chapter!

On a side-note, thanks for the reviews! It's nice to hear that people really like the story so far. And it gets better from here, I assure you. Also, to answer you question, Holmes: yes, you make a good point there. It might be a little out of character for some of those guys being so harsh on the Diclonius, but I really want to make a point that humans tend to treat them like shit most of the time. I plan to make all the character gradually become more sympathetic towards them, but for the time being, most people still see them as monsters, whether or not they know about their powers or not.


	7. Chapter 7

Josefina paced back and forth across the floor. She was anxious beyond words. Haiti and Karen should've come back by now. The Vault might be highly-secure from a human standpoint, but two Diclonii wouldn't have any trouble breaking in and taking out the two old geezers that Raul Menendez wanted dead.

"Maybe they got lost," she told herself in a whisper. "Karen's sense of direction is terrible, and Haiti has to rely on her to get around. They'll find their way back eventually...they have to..." She sighed softly before walking up to the window at the front of the house and staring out into the neighborhood. There wasn't a sign of life in sight. "Please be safe."

* * *

Haiti's new accommodations reminded her of the advanced confinement cells from the facility. She was strapped into a tight strait-jacket that hung two feet off the ground by a durable metal cable. A box of Plexiglas barricades surrounded her, keeping anyone from getting too close to her. It was only by luck that they were placed outside of her vector range, and that the cable restraining her was too dense for her vectors to slash through. There was truly no way out.

Her inclined hearing could pick up nothing going on outside of her prison. For the first time, she felt truly blind. "Josefina," she sniffed. "Help me."

Suddenly, a sound reached her ears. She almost cried out in relief, but held her tongue. Her experience with humans taught her that outbursts of emotion were unacceptable. The sound in question was of the door opening, and someone walking in. "Hello there," the visitor greeted, walking right up to the Plexiglas wall. "Do you know who I am?"

Haiti nodded warily. Yes, she recognized that voice; it was one of the men who had interrogated her. "I guess...who are you, exactly? What's your name?" she asked, her youthful curiousity piqued.

"My name is Section. I wanted to talk to you - without someone pointing a gun at your head. Can you tell me your name?" David asked in a gentle voice. Haiti bit her lip; was it okay to tell him? She already told him about Raul; Josefina would be mad when she found out, and she didn't like it when she was mad, especially towards her. But then again, he told her his name, so didn't that make her obligated to tell him hers? It all made her head spin.

"M-My name is Number 133...b-but the others call me Haiti," she stuttered.

"Others?" He queried. "You mean there are more people like you working for Menendez?" Haiti would've kicked herself if she was able to. She was so stupid!

"I-I can't tell you," she said evasively. "I told you my name, but that's it. I won't say anything else!" Of course, that was easier said than done; she was starting to become fond of this human, even if only a little. Besides Raul, he was the only human to treat her with any respect. It was hard to hate him when that's taken into consideration.

David nodded. "Alright, I won't ask about Menendez. Tell me more about you." Haiti stiffened. He had delved into a very touchy subject. She said she wouldn't talk to him about what she knew, but she felt the desire to relieve the weight of her past from her body. She stayed quiet for a long time, and David was starting to worry she seriously wouldn't tell him. But in the end, Haiti couldn't help herself.

"Mydaddyhurtmyeyesandthrewmeo utthenthemeanfacilitypeo...!" she blurted before David stopped her.

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down! Just breathe, and take your time." Haiti took a deep breath, then started over.

"My daddy...he was really mean. He hit me a lot, said I was a monster and that I should just go back to hell. One day he hit my head so hard my eyes stopped working. I cried, but he got really mad and started hitting me over and over again. I...I don't remember much after that..." By now, she was breathing heavily, her brain urging her to cry away her sorrows, but was unable to do so. "I-I was taken to a facility somewhere. They locked my sisters and I away and experimented on us. It hurt more than anything my dad did. Then...Raul came and rescued us. Josefina told us he was good; that we could trust him. He...he's the only human that was nice, besides you. He said he wanted to make a new world, one that's better. I-I want a world where I won't get hurt, and Raul said he'd help."

David took in this information. He couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her, even if she did just try to kill Woods and his dad. She was abused and scared, and Menendez was exploiting that. Then there was this Josefina character; who was she? From what he'd seen, these horned girls were very bitter towards the human race, yet this girl, Josefina, somehow convinced them to work with Raul Menendez. That couldn't be possible unless she was of great significance to them.

"So...this Josefina...she's like a big sister?" Haiti shook her head.

"No, she's our mother."

* * *

Roe watched Section and the horned girl's conversation from outside the cell. His hand was on his pistol, and though the safety was on, he still tapped the trigger anxiously. The very sight of Haiti made him seethe with murderous rage. No one knew the reason for his intense hatred of the Diclonius, or that it even existed, at that. But it was there and it was obvious.

The moment Briggs mentioned the girl with mysterious powers, he immediately signed on for the mission. It sounded so familiar that he had to look into it. Upon seeing the rosette girl with horns in interrogation, his mind just clicked. He pulled out his handgun and prepared to execute her then and there, but then she attack. It was only coincidence that she was shot at that particular moment; if she had stayed still for a moment longer, she would've died before her vectors left her body.

Now, he was prepared to do the same here and now, but he couldn't do it with Section in the way. All he could do was wait and watch.

* * *

David was at a loss for words. "She's...your mother?"

"Our mother," she corrected. "Well, one of our mothers; my birth mother was human, but I don't remember her anymore. Josefina is my mother and mother to all of us. She is the Queen of our species; she cares for her subjects, her children. As Silpelits, standing at her side is our greatest duty."

David's head was spinning with all the new information. Words swam through his head: Queen, mother, Silpelit. He just couldn't wrap his mind around all this. They weren't just fighting Menendez anymore; they were fighting a whole new sentient race. If they went to war, it would be long, bloody, and could very well end with the extinction of the other species. And after seeing what just a few of them were capable of, he didn't like humanity's odds. Something else was bothering him, though...

"Why are you telling me this? I mean, I know I asked about you, but this doesn't seem like information you'd just give away." Haiti sighed deeply.

"I shouldn't be. I'm going to be in so much trouble for this, but...I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting and hiding from humans. I just want all the hate to stop...if telling you about what we are helps...I'm willing to suffer the consequences." David was shocked at the girl's selflessness; she was willing to give her life so that her kind could make peace with humanity.

"Thank you, Haiti," he said, taking a few steps towards the door. He stopped midway and glanced back at her. "I guess it's only fair that I tell you my real name, since you told me yours. David, David Mason."

Haiti smiled slightly. "It was nice to meet you, David Mason." David smiled back and proceeded to leave the room. He failed to notice the figure skulking in the nearby shadows...

* * *

Haiti lifted her head as she heard the door open again. Who was it this time? Surely it wasn't David; he just left. That was the only thought that went through her head before a bullet impacted with her skull. Death was immediate.

Roe holstered his pistol, his single eye watching the girl slouch forwards in her restraints without a hint of remorse. He had to hurry; the gunshot would attract guards.


	8. Chapter 8

David sat down in a chair with a loud groan, beer in hand. He'd just gotten the news; Haiti was dead. Executed only minutes after he finished talking to her. He leaned his head back and let the alcohol flow into his mouth in one big gulp.

"Damn it..." he muttered. He just couldn't believe it; all she wanted to do was make the world a better place for everyone. He tried to remind himself that she was prepared for this; she knew all too well that the information she gave him could get her killed, but it still didn't seem right.

What worried him the most was that she was killed almost immediately after he left. Who could have gotten in there in that amount of time, killed Haiti, and then leave without a trace. It would have to have been someone on the inside, but WHO? He just couldn't put the pieces together.

The door to the barracks opened, and David watched as Roe walked inside. The one-eyed sniper took one look at him and kept walking. "What are you sulking over?" he asked as he passed him. David just sighed.

"Nothing," he replied, knowing that no one but himself could understand how he felt about Haiti's death. Roe scrutinized him for a moment, then shrugged and continued on his way. Little did Section know that Roe knew exactly what was on his mind, and it enraged him. It was bad enough that Section was talking to that she-devil, but mourning her just about drove him to take his pistol and shoot him in the head, too. Diclonii were a menace; they were just a pestilence to be put down. Who cared if they were 'sentient'? As far as he was concerned, anything that could kill so indiscriminately could hardly be considered sentient.

Fortunately, Roe was good at concealing his true feelings.  
-

While Raul was away visiting old contacts, it was Josefina's job to keep an eye on the other Diclonii. It was insane,how much trouble these girls could get into when they weren't supervised. Vectors were cool and all, but they also had a nasty habit of breaking things if you let your mind wander. There've already been a few superficial accidents, most involving broken dishes and overturned furniture. They could be a handful sometimes.

Despite the difficulty of raising and caring for ten young Silpelits, Josefina loved them all unconditionally. As a Queen Diclonius, she was the matriarch of the new humanity; basically, the 'mom' of all Diclonii. And she fulfilled her role as a mother well. The fact that Diclonii are inexplicably loyal to their Queen may have helped make them more compliant, but Josefina liked to think they followed her because they loved her in return.

Josefina groaned loudly as she sat up straight, standing up and stretching out her back. She'd been laying down for the better part of the day, and it was starting to get really boring. Besides, she needed to check up on the girls. Strolling into a nearby hallway, she stopped in front of the last door and opened it, revealing a flight of stairs. She descended into the basement. At the bottom of the stairs, Josefina could see the rest of her small family, all sitting in a circle amongdy discarded futons.

Edi, the youngest, was lying on her belly, anxiously watching the twins, Rose and Violet, passing a ball back and forth with their vectors. Whenever one of them failed to catch it, she would break into elated applause, which earned her smiles from the pitcher and dirty looks from the catcher. Meanwhile, Alexis sat cross-legged a little ways from the others, a large book in her lap. Her second-hand glasses slid down her nose, hanging precariously from the tip before she used a vector to prop it back on its perch. Another vector occasionally flipped the page for her. The remaining four, Rita, Sheryl, Lily, and Fran, all sat together, making small talk.

Josefina smiled sadly as she watched them. She loved these girls, but she knew that they could all very well die in the rapidly approaching war. It also disheartened her to think of the other Diclonii around the world who didn't have this happiness. The Diclonius world population was only a few hundred at best, and they were likely the only ones outside of captivity. But that would change soon; once Raul ended the Earth's corruption, the Diclonius species could live free without hiding. They would no longer fear the human race, but live side-by-side with them. It would be a welcome change.

* * *

Raul Menendez leaned forwards, resting his head on his fists inquisitively. "Now, tell me, are you still willing to fight and die for Cordis Die?" he asked the man in shades sitting across from him. He wore a mercenary uniform, and was surrounded by over a dozen men in similar attire. The man laughed, lit a cigar, took a puff, then smiled wickedly at Menendez.

"You know me, Menendez; you keep paying, we keep killing. Everyone's happy." He paused to blow some smoke out of his mouth before continuing. "But tell me, how are you planning to go about it this time? The last plan didn't go so well." Now it was Raul's turn to smiled deviously.

"I have...special allies, now. When my forces are back to full-strength, with their help, the corrupt Capitalist nations of the world will fall, one by one."

"Special allies, eh? Heh, I like the sounds of that. What exactly makes them so special?" The man inquired.

"Don't fret; you'll see soon enough. But I promise you, they will not disappoint you," Raul answered. "All I'll say now is that they possess power beyond your wildest dreams...and darkest nightmares."

* * *

As Section downed the rest of his beer, the door to the barracks opened again. He didn't look to check who it was; he really just didn't care right now. Haiti sudden and mysterious murder was still getting to him.

He was snapped out of his dark musings when the person put a firm hand on his shoulder. "Well, well, what do we have here? You're certainly looking worse for wear, aren't you, Section?" He recognized the feminine voice immediately. Section turned around suddenly to face the woman, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Chloe?"

* * *

A/N: So, Karma has returned, Menendez continues to build his army, and Section is hung up on the death of young Haiti. What could this mean for JSOC, and the world?


	9. Chapter 9

Section stared at Chloe incredulously. "Chloe? What are you doing here?"

Chloe "Karma" Lynch was one of the greatest technological minds of her generation. She was once part of TACITUS, an organization specializing in advanced technology. While there, she created a Celerium worm, a device capable of hacking into any known database on the planet. After she completed it, however, she quit her job and virtually disappeared from the face of the earth until just one year ago, when Raul Menendez came looking for her, aiming to get his hands on the Celerium worm. Fortunately, Section and his team had been able to successfully extract her from the floating city of Colossus. With her help, Section was able to foil Menendez's plot and, effectively, save the world. She'd been something of a celebrity after that, making occasional talk-show appearances and her name coming up on the news from time to time. Besides that, she was content to living in the relative peace and quiet of her life after TACITUS, until now, apparently...

"I heard Raul Menendez broke out and he has some kind of secret super-weapon, and I thought you might need a tech like me to do the heavy thinking. Besides," she grimaced. "He's probably pretty pissed at me for what I said about him on the news, so it's probably safer for me here, anyways."

Section smirked. "Fair enough. Glad to have you here, 'Karma'," he said, using her nickname. Karma smiled in return.

"Glad to be here, 'Section'," she countered.

* * *

When Raul returned, Josefina was, initially, overjoyed. She hated being separated from him for any period of time, and she hadn't seen him in over a week. However, the first thing that he told her turned her insides cold. "Karen and Haiti are dead," he said simply. He knew she wouldn't take the news well, but how could he tell her without upsetting her? Even he was somewhat shocked when he received word that their mission to assassinate Frank Woods and Alex Mason had failed. No, it was better to be up front with it. He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry, Josefina."

Josefina didn't hear him. Upon hearing the news, her whole world darkened. "No..." she thought as she lay in the void of her mind. "They can't...Haiti...Karen...they can't be..." She started sobbing sadly, with both her mind and body. She knew that some of her girls would die; it was inevitable. But that did nothing to ease the pain she felt, and for it to happen so soon...she never expected that. On top of everything else, she had grown very protective of Haiti; she admired her optimism, even if she had just as much, if not more, reason to hate humans than the rest of them. She got her eyes cut out by her own father, yet she still saw the good in humanity...figuratively speaking. But in light of all that...she was killed by the humans in the end. With that fact screaming in Josefina's mind, when her sights returned to reality, all she saw was red.

"No," she growled, her voice dangerously low. Her hands curled into fist, trying to resist the urge to lash out and maim everything in sight. But the ungodly amount of pain and fury building inside of her was too much to bear. Grasping her head in her hands, she fell to her knees, her breathing becoming forced and uneven as tears streamed down her face. "NO!" she screamed, dozens of vectors exploding from her back, decimating the immediate area. If it weren't for the fact that they vibrated to the point of visibility, Raul might not have gotten out of the way. Instead, he flung himself backwards into the nearby wall, dazed as her watched his own Josefina tear the house to shreds.

As her rage grew, so did her vectors, extending and multiplying to unfeasible levels of power. "Nonononononononono!" she screamed repeatedly, shaking her head as she held it in her hands. Her horns elongated at sharpened into points as she began to hover above the ground, rising above the neighborhood. The residents looked out their windows and watched in awe and horror as the crazed, demonic girl unleashed her inner hatred of the human race to its full extent.  
Her countless vectors, visible for everyone to see, rained down from her position in the sky to pummel the surrounding buildings. As soon as the visible vectors came in contact with something, it resulted in violent explosions of not only wood and concrete, but flesh and bone. Nothing was safe; friends, foes, they meant nothing to Josefina now. All she wanted was to make her pain known.

The rampage lasted for only ten minutes, but the results were something one would expect from an hour-long military bombardment in a war movie. What was left behind in the wake of her destruction could hardly be recognized; massive craters filled with body-strewn rubble dotted the landscape for miles around. Nothing was left standing, and it almost looked as if no one had survived.

As her rage began to subside, Josefina was struck with agony. She yelled out as the entropy caused by the overuse of her vectors began to sear her body to the core. It felt as though she was being burned alive from the inside-out. The immense pain caused her vectors to dissipate, and she began plummeting to the earth.

Instead of striking cold, hard dirt, Josefina landed on what felt like a cloud. Weakly turning her head, her Diclonius eyes saw the net of vectors that had broken her fall. Through the fog of her failing vision, she saw several girls with horns surrounding her, approaching from all sides. This was the last thing she saw before her body submitted to fatigue.

* * *

Raul panted as the van flew down the interstate. He knew all along that Josefina wouldn't take the news well; that was a given. But he never would have expected her to go into such a rage. He wasn't even aware that she was capable of so much destruction. He knew the Diclonius were powerful, but what happened...that was far beyond anything we could've imagined. It was like she, for a brief time, turned into a goddess and rained death and destruction on any who opposed her.

Now, nearly 24 hours after the incident, Josefina was still out-cold. The other girls had been caring for her ever since her tantrum subsided, but have been unable to do anything to help her. They were worried sick; she was their one and only Queen, not to mention the closest thing to a mother that any of them have ever had. If she died from this, they might become violent as well, and Raul couldn't have that. He needed Josefina not only to keep his Diclonii followers in line, but to maintain his own sanity. Losing her all over again would certainly make that fly out the window.  
Alexis was sitting beside him in the passenger's seat, staring blankly at the road ahead. With Josefina out of commission, she was the one in charge of the girls, now. Raul had never had a reason to interact with the other Diclonii as much as he did Josefina, and now he was starting to regret it. He didn't know anything about the bespectacled horned girl, or much about any of them.

Alexis broke the uneasy silence they had maintained since leaving their previous hideout. "Where will we go now, Señor* Menendez?" she asked politely in Raul's native tongue. She was polyglot, due to her immense interest in reading. She could speak every major language on the planet perfectly, and often did so, when the need arised.

"I am unsure, Chiquita*," Raul replied. "There are few places in America where we can find sanctuary. It may be some time until we can put down roots again."

Alexis nodded solemnly. "I see," she said simply. "Until then, we will do our best to protect you and La Abeja Reina*. You have nothing to fear."

Señor = Mister  
Chiquita = young one  
La Abeja Reina = The Queen (refers to a Queen Bee. The Diclonii operate on a hierarchy system that is closely related to a hive. Thus, Silpelits would be considered worker and soldier bees, and Josefina would be the 'Queen Bee')

* * *

Even as Briggs read the report, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. A Virginian suburb had been attacked out of the blue. The civilian death toll was in the thousands and counting. Less than a dozen people have been found alive. The entire town was no more.

It was…manslaughter.

Raul had gone too far this time. He'd put up with his shenanigans before because they were aimed solely at the military. But this time, after massacring an entire civilian population, he was at the end of his chain. Briggs picked up a nearby phone. "This is Admiral Briggs," he said, his voice tense with fury. The message was being broadcasted throughout the entire US fleet. "I've received word that Raul Menendez has issued an attack on the United States. No military personnel were in the area, and thousands of civilians were killed. This is where I draw the line. I have requested the President initate DEFCON 2 protocols, and she has agreed. From this point forward, we are waging total war against Menendez and his followers. Until I see that cocksucker with a hole through his head, we will hunt him and everyone who supports him like the dogs they are. Men, grab your gear and get top-side immediately. We're moving out in five-minutes."

Briggs set the phone down on its receiver, slumping back into his chair. "This is all bullshit. Pure. Undistilled. Bullshit. And we're knee-deep in it."

* * *

A/N: Okay, before anyone starts flaming me, yes, I realize that my translations might not be spot-on, but it was an idea I couldn't pass up. Please forgive me if I made errors. Also, I have begun a Skyrim/Elfen Lied Crossover, "Hopeless Freedom". I highly recommend it, Elder Scrolls and Elfen Lied fans alike. I should be able to post the next chapter of HF before the weekend. Until then!


	10. Chapter 10

"Karma, we're in position," Section said into his comms. He, King, Crosby, and Ranger were hanging from a cliff side nanotech gloves keeping them from falling several stories into the rain forest below.

"Roger that, Section," Karma replied. "I can't believe Menendez is using this place again. You'd think he'd move on and find somewhere else to set up a research facility."

"Well, that just makes it easier for us," Ranger said. "Is there anything new we should know about?"

"Not that I know of; I wasn't here the first time, and neither were you, come to think of it." Ranger shrugged, even though Karma was nearly 200 miles away back on the Obama.

"I like to know what we're up against. I'll rephrase the question; do you see anything we should know about?"

"No, it looks pretty standard. I'm counting at least 30 guards, 10 of them are in optical camo. Mounted MGs, a few ASDs and a drone, but it doesn't seem to be online. Other than that, there's nothing to worry about."

"Right, good to know, Karma. We'll be keeping radio silence until the mission is over; if we try to contact you, it's because we've been compromised. Section out." With that, Section shut off his comms and turned his head to look at the rest of his squad. "Alright, everyone remember the plan?"

"I'll go in first and find a place to set up," Ranger answered. "From there, I'll provide intel on enemy movements, or sniper support if things go downhill."

Section nodded. "And the rest of us will infiltrate the compound and hit them from the inside. Good, let's get it done, people." He tugged on the tether linking him to Crosby. Crosby nodded to him, deactivating his nanogloves and swinging over the the adjacent cliffside. Ranger did the same, and King hit the rockface next to Crosby.

"Alright, you're turn," Crosby called out to Section. Section mirrored Crosby's actions, deactivating his nanogloves to fall from the wall, letting the tether line catch him and swing him up to the top of the cliff. He climbed onto the ledge before hauling Crosby up. King and Ranger joined them only minutes later.

"So far, so good," King commented.

"Don't jinx us," Ranger scolded. He pressed a button set into the upper-center of his combat gear. A pair of artificial patagiums grew from under his arms, ending somewhere near his ankles. Without sparing another word, he threw himself off the nearby ledge.

King glared at the place he jumped from. "I don't like that guy," he muttered. "There's something wrong with him. Don't know what, but there's something."

Crosby shrugged, activating his own wing-suit "Well, I wouldn't tell him that; he's the one who's watching our asses out there. Don't think he'd take too kindly to criticism." Section ignored their conversation, activating his own patagiums.

"No time to complain, we've got a job to do," he told them before jumping off the same cliff as Ranger.

The second his feet left the ground, Section was subjected to the familiar feeling of 0-G. Wind rushed past his ears as he lost altitude: 12,000 feet, 11,000 feet, 10,000 feet...and he spread his arms. He was ripped out of free-fall and propelled forwards, riding air currents in the direction of the facility.

"Get ready, Menendez," Section thought. "We're sick and tired of you fucking with us, and now we're gonna make sure when we take you down, you stay down."

* * *

At the research facility, several scientist specialized in the anatomy of Diclonii watched as a group consisting of three jumpsuit-clad Silpelits stood back-to-back, facing the turrets that were currently aimed at them.

"All systems are green. Are you ready?" A voice on the intercom asked. The three girls all nodded in unison, their faces alight with confidence. "Alright, initiate turret fire!" The barrels of the sentry turrets began to spin, prompting the girls to summon forth their vectors, forming an invisible barrier between them and the impending threat.

The turrets opened fire, but all the bullets were deflected away from the girls long before they were near to them. "Incredible," one of the scientist breathed as he watched the three Diclonii. "They're blocking the .50 caliber rounds! I though that was impossible!" Another man shook his head.

"An individual Diclonius wouldn't be able to survive very long under this kind of firepower, but for three, you would need artillery weapons to do damage; it would take anti-tank technology at the very least."

"Christ...how many of these things does Menendez have?" a third man asked. The second man frowned at him.

"Right now, we have just over 100 Diclonii supporting us. They're a valuable asset, and it'd be best if you didn't call them 'things'; they don't take kindly to insults," the second man scolded. The man gulped.

"O-Of course Director," he stuttered, going back to observing the test.

This was once the head facility on Celerium research Menendez used in his last plot. Now, however, it was devoted to testing the abilities of Diclonius, but unlike the previous laboratories, he went to great lengths to turn it into a more humane process. So far, only three Diclonii had been willing to undergo testing, and only because of Josefina's assurance that this would be different. Although they were allies, the relationship between Cordis Die and the Diclonius were...icy. Many Diclonii were still distrustful of humans, and many humans still feared and hated the Diclonius. There had already been a few deaths among each party, which didn't help the situation.

Despite this, neither one could deny that the other was a valuable asset. Humans lacked the natural abilities that the Diclonius possessed and the Diclonius didn't have the numbers or resources that humans have had thousands of years to improve. And they would need all the help they could get in order to obtain their goals, especially against what opposed them just outside.

* * *

Ranger lied prone at the edge of the precipice, his custom-Storm PSR propped against his shoulder and aimed in the direction of the facility. "Section, I am in position. Confirm your location, over."

The com in his ear hissed with static as Section replied. "We're at the SW corner of the compound. No contacts, but the last time we were here, some of the guards had optical camouflage. We're standing by until you give the OK, over."

"Roger that," Ranger said into the com. He carefully flipped up his eye patch and put his eye to the scope. At first glance, there appeared to be no one within the general vicinity. Wordlessly, the area was lit up in his scope, displaying heat-signatures. "Seven snipers on the ridge, three men near the catwalk. Taking them down." Ranger slowly breathed out, holding the rifle steady as he lined up his shot. The three men on the ground were completely unaware of the danger lurking in the mountains above as they passed each other. They never had a chance to react as a single shot brained the three of them simultaneously.

Without a moments hesitation, he turned his sights on the most isolated sniper of the group, sending a bullet through his skull as well.

"Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop." His rifle kicked against his shoulder with every shot, each one striking true. The sound it made was silenced by a suppressor, but it was hardly necessary; he was over a mile away, far away from any human who could possibly hear the firing.

"All contacts eliminated," he muttered, breaching his rifle's magazine chamber and loading a fresh clip inside.

"Roger, we're moving up," Section replied. Ranger watched as the three figures who were his comrades began to approach the facility, completely unopposed.

* * *

Section couldn't deny it; when Briggs said Ranger was the best marksman in JSOC, he wasn't exaggerating. He watched as ten men hit the ground, bleeding heavily through a single hole in the head.

"Damn, he's good," he thought as the trio approached the entrance of the complex. They were all armed with Chicom CQBs equip with millimeter scanners and grips, as well as Titus-6 launchers. Their armaments were more than enough to handle the facility itself, but they had no idea about what lie inside the facility itself. Section wasn't sure if they had the firepower to take on a Diclonius. It had taken high-caliber weapons to penetrate their mysterious defenses before, and they didn't have that kind of power on-hand. Ranger's rifle was powerful enough, but once they were inside, they would lose that asset. The odds were definitely against them.

Suddenly, something within the facility exploded, sending a column of smoke and flames into the sky. "Fuck!" King shouted as it happened, shielding his eyes from the intense brightness. The wailing of sirens pierced the quiet night.

"Shit! We're compromised!" Section exclaimed, putting a finger to his ear. "Karma, this is Section! We've been compromised; we need evac!" His pleas were met with static. "Damn it, they're jamming us. We'll have to leg it out of..." he was cut off when he heard a wet squelch. He turned to King, only to find him lying face-down on the ground, a long metal pole sticking from his right lung.

"Man down! Man down!" Crosby shouted. He then dove to the side as another metal rod embedded itself in the ground where he has just been standing. Section turned in the direction the two projectiles had come from and froze. Standing on a ledge above them were three dark silhouettes, each with a pair of horns coming from the top of their heads.

"SHIT!" Crosby screamed, bringing his rifle to bear and opening fire on the three as he lay on the ground. The bullets came close to them, but before they could hit their mark, they were violently swatted aside like bugs. Three pairs of blood red eyes glared at him.

"Damn it, more Diclonii," Section thought, pulling out his own rifle, but not firing. Shooting them on a whim was just going to waste bullets; he needed some kind of opening. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to wait long.

*BANG*

One of the girls' heads jerked backwards as it was lost in a red mist. Her body fell to the ground. The remaining two girls looked shocked for a moment, but instantly looked in the direction the bullet had come from with rage. Another round came flying at them, but unlike the other one, it was successfully deflected.

"God damn it, how can they block that?!" Section wondered aloud. He looked at Crosby. "Crosby, grab King and fall back! We can't fight them head on!"

* * *

Ranger swore under his breath. The first shot was a clean head-shot as was usual, but the second shot got deflected. Snarling, he squeezed the trigger gently. The HUD on his rifle's scope light up, displaying a stack of bullets on the screen. As he held down, the first bullet lit up, then the second, and the third. When the fourth one appeared, he pulled the trigger all the way. His rifle bucked wildly as it fired four bullets at once, all aimed at the left Diclonius girl. It took several moments, but when the shots struck, the effect was devastating.

The Storm PSR was purposefully designed for taking out entrenched enemies or, in extreme cases, artillery. It was not meant to be fired at near-full power at an unarmored target with nothing between them and the one with the rifle. As powerful as the Diclonius seemed, beyond their vectors, there was little else that separated them from humans. And like a human, the girl's eyes widened as her entire rib cage was blown open. She let out a wet gasp as a trail of blood left her lips and she hit the ground. She only lived long enough to realize that she had just been shot.

Her partner, the final Diclonius, watched in horror as her other sister was brutally killed. Not only was she struck by loss, but she also knew that by herself, she had no hope of surviving whatever had taken out her kin. She quickly threw her arms up in surrender, tears beginning to dribble down her face. Mentally, she pleaded to every god she knew that she would be spared. She didn't want to die; she'd barely even started to live.

The girl felt a sharp sting in her right arm, then incredible pain coursed down her entire arm. She screamed out in agony, dropping to her knees. She hesitantly glanced to her right side and saw that where her arm once was, only a gnarled stump remained. At first, the fact that her arm had just been blown off didn't register completely in her mind. But there was one thing she knew for sure...

"It hurts!" she wailed, grabbing her bloody stump as tears streamed down her face. She looked at the mysterious soldier standing below her. "Pl-Please! I-I surrend..." She didn't finish her sentence as another bullet slammed into her left shoulder, blowing the entire limb from her body. She screamed out in agony, her body pinching forwards and tumbling off the ledge. She came to rest a couple meters from Section, who watched this with a shocked expression that was visible even through his sunglasses.

He put his finger to his comm. "Ranger, this is Section! Stand down! She is going to surrender." There was no answer. Section knew that Ranger had heard him; there was no static on the other end, so the message hadn't been jammed.

"P-P-Please..." she whimpered pathetically. Her eyes were puffed and ringed with red from all of her tears. "It...h-h-hurts...no m-more...no m-more...I surr..." That was all she managed before a third and final bullet blew right through her skull, ending her misery.

A mile away, Ranger watched his shots tear the girls apart with a cold, detached expression. He felt no pity for the Diclonii; they murdered human kind on a whim. Why should he care if one of them tries to give themselves over? Death was the only things those monsters deserved, if not pain and suffering to pay for their crimes. The coward girl deserved everything he did to her.

Section watched, speechless as the last Diclonius was executed as she begged him for her life. He gritted his teeth in anger. He had given Ranger a direct order; the girl was to be spared so that she could be taken for questioning. Her injuries were bad, but they still could have saved her. Up until Ranger blew her brains out; even in the future, there was no remedy for that.

"Fall back," he growled into his comm.

* * *

Five hours later, back aboard the Obama...

Section grabbed Ranger by his collar and slammed him into the wall. "What part of 'stand down' do you not understand?" he snarled. It wasn't meant to be a question, more like a blatant insult. Ranger merely stared at him with his one eye. Section couldn't seem an ounce of sympathy in the grey orb.

"Briggs has made it clear; these Diclonii are a threat. I'm a soldier; I deal with threats. If you're really a soldier, you'd do the same," he countered. Section opened his mouth to respond, but was instead given a sudden knee to the gut. He released Ranger and backed away, coughing. Then a boot came into his field of vision and hit him in the face, sending his sprawling backwards. Ranger stood over him, cracking his knuckles ominously.

"But it looks like you've still got a lot to learn," he said coldly before walking away.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I've gotten a few PMs lately suggesting that I focus a little more on the other Diclonii following Menendez, so I'm dedicating this chapter to Menendez's eight surviving Diclonius bodyguards.

* * *

As the van Menendez had managed to salvage from the destroyed suburb raced down the highway, the seven girls in the back continued to crowd around and tend to their beloved Queen, who was still in a coma following her psychotic break from the previous day. They were all dedicated to the task, but as Josefina became stabilized, they all had a chance to look back at their lives prior to Menendez.

Edi, the youngest of the Diclonii at only three years old, was without a doubt the most cheerful and optimistic of the bunch. This did not, however, mean she was naive. She had suffered at the hands of man just as much as her kin, but despite that, she still saw the good the world had to offer. That wasn't to say she wasn't against the human race; she agreed just as much with the rest of the Diclonius that humanity was something that was better off erased. But her perspective on the matter was that even if that was true, she didn't have to be gloomy about it. Thus, it let to quite a bit of confusion as to who's side she was actually on.

Besides her rather confusing philosophies, she was a pleasure to be around. Before being spirited away to a research facility, she lived in a small town in Canada. Her parents were very considerate of her condition, even if no one else was, and grew up in relative safety and comfort until she was abducted. Since then, she had no idea what had become of her birth parents, and they soon faded from her memory due to the nightmares of her day-to-day life in the facility. As far as she knew now, Josefina had always been her mother.

Her facility was located off the Japanese mainland, so it was liberated soon after Menendez first learned of the Diclonius. She has been a loyal follower ever since.

* * *

Rose and Violet were unique, in the sense that they were the only known example of Diclonius twins. For humans, this would simply mean that they looked the same, but for the Diclonius, it went much deeper than that. You see, when two Diclonii are near each other, they can sense one another and even communicate over a telepathic link. For twins, however, distance made no difference to their link; they knew exactly where the other was and what they were thinking at every waking moment.

It was cool at first, and it still was in some respects, but it became an issue when one wanted to have some alone time. They shared every thought and feeling; if one thought something, the other would think the same. As such, if one was hurt in some way, the other would feel it. And of course, there were the scientist at their former facility who found their connection 'fascinating', and thus performed dozens more test to see how far this link went.

Still, there was a huge upside that had earned them a place at Menendez's side; the synergy of their powers. Rose and Violet could link their minds and boost their vectors' attributes by nearly double. It was almost like fighting two Diclonii at once.

Rose was the more hot-tempered of the two, eagerly jumping into conflict and throwing caution to the wind. If not for her much-more tempered sister Violet, she would likely have been by now. And though she would never admit it, Rose was thankful to have a sister to look after her.

* * *

Rita sat with her three best friends/kin, Sheryl, Lily, and Fran. They had all been held captive in the same facility in Germany; they had grown up together and were as close as sisters could be. Through all the hardships they suffered early in life, they always watched out for each other, which was why Josefina had seen them as an asset in protecting Menendez. They were inseparable; three of them would rather die than leave the fourth behind. It had always been that way, and likely always would be.

Rita was a soft-hearted girl who never took insults well. Although her years in the facility and the constant support of her sisters made her a much more proud individual, there were still some things that got to her, especially when it came to her horns.

Sheryl was the quiet one, always sitting and listening, but never really participating. The others tried to get her to open up a bit more, but were always unsuccessful; she just wasn't the socialite-kind of person, even before being taken to the facility.

Lily was the oldest of the bunch at eight years old, and fulfilled her role as 'big sister' to the letter. She was fiercely protective of her friends, going as far as to lash out with lethal force at anyone who so much as talked down on them.

Lastly was Fran, the 'nanny', as her sisters often referred to her as playfully. Fran had spent the most time outside of the facility before being taken, and so had the most knowledge of humans and the outside world. She was the unofficial cook for the group, seeing as how no one else knew jack shit about cooking, and also did her best as the 'diplomat', preferring to solve problems through words rather than vectors.

The four of them had all known each other for the better part of three years (which roughly equates to six years in relation to the halfed life span of Silpelits). The eldest two of the group, Lily and Sheryl, had known each other for even longer; so long they couldn't even remember how many years it had been since they first met.

* * *

In front of the van, next to Menendez in the driver's seat, sat Alexis. She stared blankly out at the road ahead of them, her face a portrait of disinterest. She cared little for scenery, or anything aesthetic for that matter. In fact, the number of things she ever payed any mind to could be counted on a single hand.

Her past, much like the rest of her, was shrouded in mystery. She outright refused to reveal anything about her life while at or before the facility. They weren't even really sure which facility she came from; she just up and approached Josefina one day, immediately telling her that she was the Queen. At first, she was rather flustered at the accusation, especially, since it was right, but Alexis followed this by stating that she knew for certain who she was, and there was no use trying to deny it. Even to this day, Josefina still found her cold sense of confidence unnerving (or she would if she weren't comatosed).

Alexis always did what Josefina told her to; she never questioned, she never second-guessed. Compared to the loyalty all Silpelits have towards their Queen, Alexis was a strange case. Other than Josefina and Raul, she listened to no one, and she only took Raul's orders because Josefina told her to. And now, as both she and Menendez headed towards their new hideout, silently wishing that her true leader would come back.

* * *

A/N: This chapter was much easier to write than I thought it would be. Then again, I was anticipating it to be much longer. Oh well.


	12. Chapter 12

As events unfolded around her, Josefina continued to sleep, trapt deep within her own mind. The pain of her loss rivaled the pain of her injuries. People were already dying because of her, and the war hadn't even truly started yet. What kind of a Queen was she, to send her followers to their deaths so meaninglessly? She loved her girls with all her heart, and they the same, yet this is what she did for them? It made her sick inside, and her 'other' made sure that she never forgot what she did.

"Had I not warned you of this?" the voice asked in a dark purr. "You allow that human to go on with his own plans; he does not care about us."

Josefina shook her head unconsciously. "No..." she muttered aloud. But the voice did not relent.

"Who was the one that told you to send them away? Who's idea was it to sacrafice our kin for the sake of his cause?" Josefina's mental self stiffened. She didn't want to admit it, but the question brought forth a very good point.

"Raul...Menendez..." she thought.

"That's right," the voice said, chuckling coldly. "He ordered them to their deaths; not you. Why should we have to suffer for his mistakes?" Again, it had a good point; it was Raul's plan to kill Woods and Alex Mason. If Haiti and Karen hadn't gone, they would still be alive. But they had, because she had allowed it. Because she had allowed Raul to take command.

"Yes, now you realize it. He cares nothing for us; he only wants to use us for his own gain, then throw us away like trash, just like all the other humans. Are you going to let him succeed in that? ARE YOU...!?" The other's rant was interrupted when she felt a vector pressed against her throat like a blade, ready to slit it open.

"No," Josefina said with conviction. "You are wrong. Raul is not my enemy; humanity is not my enemy. My enemy...is YOU!" Her vector slashed at the other's neck, but was countered by her own vector.

"Foolish girl," she laughed. "You forget your place." Suddenly, Josefina was knocked back by an overwhelming force eminating from her other. "I am your power; without me, you're NOTHING!" A swarm of vectors exploded from her back, aimed to impale Josefina. She managed to bring out her own vectors and shield herself, but stumbled backwards, panting from exertion.

Her other sent vector after vector at her, which she countered with one of her own, but it was hard to keep her with the ferocity of her DNA. Meanwhile, the battle occuring inside Josefina's mind started to have real world reprecussions. Josefina tossed and turned, muttering incoherently. Edi was the first to notice, and watched silently with worry-filled crimson eyes. The rest began to follow suit.

"Josefina..." Edi whimpered, holding the arm of her unconscious Queen tightly. Rose came up beside her and gently patted one of her horns, which was something of an act of comfort as well as affection amongst Diclonii.

"It'll be alright, Edi," Rose reassured her, though inside she wasn't sure if that was true or not; Josefina had surpassed her limits when she went on her rampage several days ago. Normally, that would cause a Diclonius' bodily integrity to degrade until it went into meltdown, and in a very literal sense at that. The amount of entropy build up would at least cause severe internal damage, but Josefina had come out of it without a sign of injury. Surely, there was something wrong, or else she would've woken up by now, but neither Rose nor anyone else knew what that could be. It was a very troubling dilemna.

Inside of Josefina's mind, the battle for dominance continued. Josefina could barely hold out against her other, but she was managing. The other, however, was showing no signs of strain or letting up. "Hahaha!~" the other laughed while Josefina struggled to hold back wave after wave of vectors. "You think I'm your enemy? Without me, you'd be no better than a human. I am the seat of all purpose in your existence! We were born to kill humanity; why don't you just accept that?"

Josefina shook her head defiantely. "There are a lot of bad humans out there, I know, but that doesn't give you or any of us the right to wipe them out. Right now, I'm fighting for the future of both of our races, and right now, you're in my way!" Josefina's vectors snagged her other's vectors, parting them and leaving a clear path between the two of them. Not missing a beat, Josefina rushed forwards, her fist pulled back beside her ear. Before the other could defend herself, Josefina's knuckles rammed into her jaw, knocking her to the ground. She didn't let up, though; with her other left vulnerable due to the pain of her injury, Josefina took her vectors and pounded the body of her DNA into the ground with repeated blows from her many vectors. When she was finally finished, there was nothing but a bloody pulp in its place.

Satisfied, Josefina turned and began to walk away. She stopped when she heard a shuffling sound, followed by a sinister growl. Glancing back, she saw her other's deformed face glaring at her with bloodshot eyes. "Huh...huh...b-bitch..." she choked out, coughing up blood. "You, huh...think this is over...?" Her mauled formed started to rise from the ground, but instead of attacking, it began to evaporate in a cloud of smoke. "I'll always be with you, whether you like it or not. You win this time...but I'll be sure to rectify that, you...you piece of shit..." With that, the body of Josefina's DNA faded away. The last thing to vanish was her two red eyes, which continued to stare at her with murderous intent until they were no more.

As the DNA disappeared, the dark void of Josefina's mind began to brighten a little. She couldn't help but smile, knowing she had won a major victory today.

* * *

The seven girls in the back of the van watched as their Queen opened her eyes for the first time in nearly a week. As soon as Josefina regained consciousness, she immediately found herself begin ambushed by relieved little girls, who tried to hug her all at once as they cried with joy. Josefina smiled softly, her vectors encircling the girl in a large embrace.

"It's good to see you again, girls," Josefina told them, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I'm sorry for worrying you so much. Can you forgive me?"

"We forgive you!" they all cried, their vectors tightening their hug on her. Josefina chuckled slightly, though in truth if they kept this up, she wouldn't be able to breathe.

Josefina felt a tingling sensation go through her pineal gland as another Diclonius synced minds with her. "You are awake," Alexis observed, her monotone voice resonating inside Josefina's head. "That is good news."

"It's nice to see you, too, Alexis," she thought in reply. "Is there anything I missed?"

"Not much," Alexis answered. "We've been searching for a new base for four days. You've been out during that entire period."

Josefina lowered her eyes. "Four days..." she repeated to herself, taking in the new information.

"Yes, four days. We have no new information so far," Alexis informed. "We're currently approaching Phoenix, Arizona. Raul Menendez has many known followers in the area who could provide shelter." There was a brief pause. "Speaking of which, do you want me to inform Raul of your recovery?"

Josefina, still trying to process everything she had just been told, simply nodded. Upon being answered, Alexis' image faded from Josefina's mind, allowing her to return to reality. All of the girl were staring at her curiously, seeing as how she just spaced out for the duration of the telepathic message. She reassured them all that she was fine, but in truth she wasn't completely sure. After what happened in Virginia, could she trust herself to contain her anger? What if she went into another rage and hurt or, heaven forbid, killed one of them. She would never be able to forgive herself.

In the end, all she could do was hold her girls close and comfort them, knowing that a lot of blood would be spilled before this was all over, human and Diclonius.

* * *

"Section," Briggs sighed, staring at David with tired eyes. "Things are worse than we thought. Japan just came forward with new information on Menendez's bitches." David simply nodded, not commenting on Briggs' views on the Diclonius. Even though he knew enough about them to feel sympathetic, he was the black lamb in that regard. He wasn't going to convince anyone of that anytime soon. "Apparently, they've been experimenting on those freaks for years now. Congress is making a huge stink over the whole thing, but that's not important. What is important is now we know what we're dealing with."

"They're called Diclonius, some kind of mutant species with a knack of killing any human they come across. They're tough little shits, but as you've seen already, they're not invincible. They can be killed, and now we know exactly how." He laid a large bullet cartridge on the desk. "High-velocity projectiles. That's the key to killing them. .50 caliber rounds are the most common, but theoretically, anything heavy with a lot of momentum behind it will do the trick. They've got a while goddamn formula for it, but that's all you really need to know. From now on, I'm ordering that all men carry armor-piercing rounds at all times for dealing with those bitches."

"We're in deep shit, Section. At this rate, it's going to be a long bloody war if we don't take out Menendez right now. That's why I'm counting on you." As Briggs finished, he pressed the button on a pager. "Send him in."

"Send who in?" Section asked.

"With King WIA, you'll need someone to fill his shoes until he recovers. I've got someone to do the job, but a word of warning; he's got a reputation for being a loose-cannon. He's a helluva soldier, one of the best we've got, but his methods are...less than conventional, even by black op standards." The door to Briggs' office opened, revealing a tall, lanky man sporting a white sleeveless tank-top and camoflage cargo pants. His eyes were a stormy grey, which might have been quite intimidating if not for the happy-go-lucky grin on his face. The stubs of hair on his shaved head were a light brown.

"Reporting for duty, Mister Admiral," the man said, giving a weak salute. Briggs rested his face against his hand and groaned.

"Just sit down, Don. I don't have time for bullshit," he snapped. The man complied, but David could tell he definitely took his time doing so. "Anyways...Section, this is Don Whitley, codename Raptor." Section stiffened at the mention of his last name, Whitley.

"Sir, is this...?" he started. Briggs nodded before he could finish.

"Yes, this is Ranger's younger brother." At the mention of his brother, Don's smile instantly vanished, replaced by a surprisingly serious look.

"So...Roman's here," he muttered to himself. "Should've guessed he'd get himself involved in all this..." He turned around and headed towards the door. "I have to go get some things sorted. I'm fit for duty whenever you need me, Section. I look forward to working with you." With that, he left, leaving the other two men staring at the door in confusion.

* * *

Roe skulked down the hall to the barracks when he spotted someone leaning against the wall ahead of him, deliberately blocking the way. "Move," Roe grunted. The person ignored him and merely glanced in his direction, his features dimmed by a cap. Roe narrowed his good eye in aggravation. "I said mov...!" Suddenly, the man took off his hat and through it at Roe, blocking his view momentarily. He swatted it out of the air, only to see Don charging at him. Before he could react, Don tackled him to the ground. He proceeded to mount on top of Roe, twining their legs and holding his arms down.

"Long time, no see, Roman," Don said in a low tone, glaring at his older brother. Roe simply returned the glare.

"What the hell do you want, Donathon?" he asked, using Don's full name as well.

"Don't play dumb with me; I know what you're here for. I'm only going to say this once, so listen up: focus on the mission. Killing Menendez comes first; nothing else matters until we do that." Slowly, Don dismounted his brother, standing up and starting to walk away. As Roe pulled himself to his feet, he glanced back at him. "And I swear, if you so much as touch her, I'll kill you myself." Having said all that he wanted to say, Don left without another word.

Once he was far out of earshot, Don reached into one of the many pockets of his cargo pants and pulled out a worn leather wallet. He carefully unfolded it, digging around inside until he found what he was looking for: a plastic picture folder. All but one of the sleeves were empty. The photo was of him and a young girl, roughly eight-years old, riding on his shoulders. Both of them were smiling brightly at the camera. It was a heart-warming photo (although slightly marred, since the girl appeared to have red-eye), one that a soldier like him would keep with him while out of country. But there was one thing that made this picture very unique.

Sticking out of the little girl's cherry-colored locks were two white horns.


	13. Chapter 13

The van came to a stop at an old roadside motel just outside of Phoenix. It was the perfect place to stay for someone trying to lay low; no one asked questions, so long as you paid well. And although Raul had lost access to much of his wealth prior to imprisonment, he had more than enough cash on-hand to ward off any suspicion the receptionist may have had about an old man, a woman in a ridiculously large sombrero, and eight young, odd-looking girls.

"Here's your key, sir," she said, handing him a room key. "We hope you enjoy your stay."

Raul nodded. "Gracias," he said as he turned and headed back outside to find the room.

The cool of the Arizona night permeated the air, but he simply shrugged it off, as did his Diclonii followers. They had all lived in much more squalid conditions than this before, and after spending almost a week in a crowded van, they were all glad to have a little room to stretch their legs.

"Wow!" Edi breathed, staring out into the desert, where the full moon was breaching on the horizon. "It's so pretty!" Violet stood beside her, nodding as she also enjoyed the view.

"It sure is..." she sighed. It was times like this when she wished she were a normal person; she would be able to see these spectacular sights without the need for fear.

"Ah!" Edi yelped, noticing that everyone was gone. "We have to go, Rose!" She rushed off in the direction that the others were last heading while Violet watched her with a vein bulging from her forehead.

"I'm Violet!" she steamed, chasing after her.

* * *

David scrolled through the many files on his laptop. Briggs had given him full access to the Diclonius facilities' archives. Every country who had admitted to experimenting on the horned girl had handed over their knowledge on the subject to America in an effort to stop Menendez; after what happened a year ago, they didn't want to risk him getting the upper-hand again, especially when he had the Diclonius on his side, who were arguably even more deadly than the drone fleet. But before he did any real research, there was one thing he wanted to know.

"1. 3. 4," he said as he typed in each digit. The computer quickly loaded the results, displaying a list of subjects with that identification. With dozens of facilities over the world capturing every Diclonius they could get their hands on, there was bound to be a number of Silpelits with the designation 134. Unfortunately, he got more than he bargained for; when the results came in, there were 56 entries. "Shit..." he cursed, scrolling through the list.

There had to be a quicker way to do this. He needed some sort of clue; what did he know about that girl that could reveal something about her origins. Her language, maybe? Yes, she spoke English, and she also had a strong English accent. He omitted all non-English speaking countries from the list, lowering the total from 56 to 7.

"That's better." He clicked on the first result, opening a specimen profile. "Holy shit!" he cursed, physically backing away from the laptop. At the top right corner of the dossier was an image of a Diclonius girl. The body of a Diclonius girl. The scalp of the corpse was completely missing, as well as her eyes, but not in the same way as Haiti's had been; her eyes looked like they been slashed, while this girl's eyes seem to have been plucked from her skull through surgical procedure. Her torso was split open all the way from the breastbone to the groin, revealing an empty chest cavity. All of her limbs had been removed all together.

"Goddamn it..." David muttered, reapproaching the computer. The level of brutality was sickening to look at, even for him, and he's seen some pretty mangled corpse in his time. The fact that the body belonged to that of a 12-year old girl didn't help. Swallowing his nerves, he sat back down and started reading.

**Specimen Number 134**

Original I.D: Lyna Hunter

Gender: F, Silpelit

Approximate Age: 6

Vector Stats:

- Length: 4 m (A/N: About 13 1/2 feet)

- Strength: 480 J (A/N: About 354 fps. Note that this is the amount of force that they can DEFLECT, not deal. For example, a regular 9mm bullet strikes with the force of 350 fps. If a Diclonius can deflect 9mm rounds, then the strength of their vectors are above 350 fps. Lucy is capable of deflecting .50 AE roungs, which have an impact force of 1500 fps, or 2000 J, making the strength of her vectors 2000 J or higher)

- Speed: 9 meters/second (A/N: About 20 miles per hour)

-Volume: 12 (A/N: Volume is the max number of vectors a Diclonius can produce. The bigger the volume, the more vectors they have)

Status: EXPIRED 09/23/25

#134 has been selected for our study into the Diclonius anatomy. For maximum results, it is to be strapped down and injected with a clotting agent to lower the rate of bleed out. RESULTS: The experiment was successful. We will need to perform several more trials to confirm our findings. Please note that # 134 expired after completion; we will need approximately five more Diclonii to continue any further testing.

As David finished the report, he couldn't help but feel deeply disturbed. These people treated this girl like an animal. No, not even an animal; they treated her like a THING. If this was any indicater of what Diclonii in general had to go through, it wasn't hard to see why they hated humans with such a passion. But while he understood and sympathized them, he couldn't just let them wipe mankind from the planet. But did that make it right for them to exterminated? He just couldn't tell who was the good or bad guys anymore.

David shook his head. In any case, this wasn't what he was looking for. This girl died almost a year ago; he needed to find Haiti's profile. Scrolling down the list, he selected the second file. When it came up, he was met with the familiar image of the eyeless horned girl, although now, she didn't have any bandaging to cover her wounds, leaving her raw eyesockets exposed. She wore a simple cotton gown that was far too large for her and was turning gray with filth.

**Specimen Number 134**

Original I.D: Brianne Welton

Gender: F, Silpelit

Approximate Age: 5

Vector Stats:

-Length: 14 m

-Strength: 1000 J

-Speed: 20 meters/second

-Volume: 60

Status: AWOL 07/13/25 Assault on facility by mercenaries. Mercs took 15 Diclonii, including #134, for reasons unknown. Efforts to retrieve them and eliminate the mercenaries are in progress.

#134 has proven to have exceptional abilities; it is by far the strongest Diclonius we have in containment. It is possible that this is a result of her apparent blindness. We will begin testing this theory on other Diclonii. RESULTS: All research is postponed until the damage from the attack is repaired. #134 escaped along with 14 other Diclonii during this; we are currently seeking the mercenary group responsible.

David finished reading the file and leaned back in his chair, sighing. He'd been hoping to find out a little more about her than what was on the file, but it would have to do. At least now he knew her real name. There were two things he didn't quite understand, though. For starters was her age: she was only 5-years old. He would've expect her to be 11, maybe 10, but never 5. She told him she was a Silpelit; did that have something to do with it? The other girl was a Silpelit, too, and also had an age not suiting her body. There had to be a connection. The second thing was her abilities; they were off the charts. He knew that Diclonii were powerful, but this was ridiculous. And with that, he also had to wonder about her motivation; why had she been so compliant with them when she could have easily killed them and ran away? Then he remembered what she told him, 'I'm tired of fighting'.

As he was about to leave, something caught his eye. In the bottom-left corner of the dossier, there was something written in fine print. Curious, he sat back back down and zoomed in on it. It was an address of some sort, saying that the facility was located in...

"Oh my fucking god..." David swore, getting up from the chair, shoving it out of the way, and running towards the admiralty office. Briggs had to know about this.

* * *

Josefina stared into the bathroom mirror, her clothes strewn out across the tiled floor. Her slim form was ravaged by many scars, hardly noticeable on their own, but the sheer amount of them made it much more apparent. No part of her body had been spared from torment; her arms, legs, stomach, and breasts were all marred. It was a constant reminder of what she suffered at the hands of man, before she found Raul, at least.

She knew she wasn't really his sister, but it was a nice thought; to have a family, something she'd been denied since her life began. Slowly, she lifted her hand and ran her fingers along the length of her elongated horns. They were the reason she was hated, and now that they had grown so much, it was impossible to avoid ridicule, whether it was from the horns themselves or her attempts to hide them.

Sighing to herself, she turned around and walked into the shower stall, turning on the hot water and letting it wash over her. Hot showers were a luxury, even now that she was out of the facility, where anything with some semblance of comfort was nonexistant. Regardless of what thoughts plagued her at any given moment, she tried to cherish the things that other people took for granted. It was nice to have time for solace every once in a while.

Squirting a handful of shampoo in her hands, she lathering her pink hair. Meanwhile, one of her vectors grabbed a bar of soap, and another picked up a brush. She might've laughed at the fact that she was using her vectors, which had the blood of thousands on their 'hands', to wash up, but that was a bit of a morbid thought. Instead of indulging that dark sense of humor, she focused on scrubbing herself. As she washed her hair, her hand occasionally brushed against her horns, causing her vectors to quiver momentarily, but it immediately corrected itself. Despite their bony appearance, Diclonius horns were very senstive to touch. It wasn't painful, though (assuming you aren't trying to break them on purpose); in fact, it was actually quite soothing, hence why patting another's horn was a sign of affection.

After her horns grew, so did her powers, substancially. Granted, being Queen, her abilities were always incredible compared to the rest of her species, but this was different. Her vectors had a strength that could be described as divine. Wiping a small suburb from the face of the earth single-handedly was no small feat, and it paled in comparison to the levels of destruction she could unleash at full-strength. But it would never come to that; she had no desire to destroy anything anymore. Back in the facility, she'd wanted to kill all humans and crush everything that they had created. Now, she had a new perspective; there could be peace between the races, but alas, she knew that it would require for much blood to be shed.

Josefina groaned as a throbbing pain blossomed in her head. "Ugh..." she moaned, resting her head against her palm. She must be thinking too hard, to be getting headaches out of the blue like this. She took a deep breath and tried to relax herself.

All of a sudden, Josefina felt as though she been struck by lightning. Her body stiffened as the pain in her head suddenly exploded. She screamed in agony and stumbled, falling through the shower curtain and onto the cold floor. Thousands of thoughts and memories coursed through her mind, and none of them were her own. Images of unspeakable suffering flooded her vision, followed by many screams of anguish and children begging for an end to the pain. She was being bombarded from all around with despair; there wasn't an ounce of joy within her being anymore.

And then, it all stopped. Her mind shut everything out but her own thoughts. Without the sirens going off in her head, Josefina realized that she was no longer in the bathroom, but lying on a motel bed, a towel wrapped around her for modesty's sake. She noticed that she wasn't alone, either; on one side of her bed sat Raul, who was holding her arm tightly, looking at her with concern. On the other side were her girls, who were virtually climbing over one another to get a good look. It would've been comical to watch if not for the direness of the situation.

Before any of them could say anything about her recovery, Josefina bolted upright, climbed out of bed, and grabbed the nearest outfit that fit her and put it on hastily.

"Josefina!" Raul exclaimed. "What are you doing?" The girl did not respond; in fact, it was almost as if she didn't notice any of them. Everyone just watched her bewilderedly. When she was finally dressed, she turned to face them, a serious look etched on her face.

"Guys," she began. "I have to go. It's important. Don't follow me; I'll be back soon." WIthout any further explaination, she threw the door open and walked out into the cool, Arizona night. Raul chased after her, reaching out to grab her arm. The second her came in contact with her, she glanced at him, her eyes filled with menace. It was a look that Raul had seen many times before, but never directed at him. Now he understood why everyone who opposed her ran away screaming; she was incredibly intimidating, even for him.

"Raul," she hissed. "Let. Go." There was nothing in her voice but authority, and maybe a little venom. It wasn't a suggestion; it was a command. And Raul obeyed.

Free from his grip, Josefina walked away, not looking back once. Raul could feel a tear well up in the corner of his good eye as his beloved sister left him once again.

* * *

"So remind me what we're doing again," Crosby asked Section. They were currently in the back of a VTOL along with Ranger and Raptor. The two brothers never addressed each other, instead simply staring off into space, checking equipment, and pretty much anything but making conversation.

"We got a new mission from Admiral Briggs. It's top-priority; we could end this war, here and now. But only if we succeed. If we don't, a lot of people are going to die because of it."

"Damn," Crosby muttered. "So where exactly is this thing taking us? All I know is that we're going west."

"We're getting shore-leave in Vegas!" Raptor suggested with enthusiasm. Everyone stared at him blankly. "...or not."

Section chuckled dryly, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Well, joking aside, you're pretty close. We're going to Nevada, but it's not Vegas."

"And what exactly do you think we'll find? Outside of Vegas, there's nothing there. Just a lot of empty desert."

"You'll see."

* * *

A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems rushed. After spending so long on my new fic, I wanted to update this as soon as possible.

Also, I've devised a little contest: I'm introducing a new character in the next chapter. The first person to guess where Section's mission is (hint: it's in Nevada) will get to name her. Just send me a PM with the answer and a name. The next chapter will be the best one yet, I promise, but it will take some time to type up. Until then, good luck, R&R, and have a good day!

EDIT: Congrats to T.K Holmes for correctly guessing the mission location!


	14. Chapter 14

A young horned girl lay slumped against the tiled wall she was chained to, gazing up into the observation booth on the opposite side of the room. Her eyes were cold and dim; if not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest, one would swear she had died standing up. But no, she was alive, much to her displeasure.

Why didn't they just end her misery already? She was already broken, physically and mentally; her spirit was long dead, and all she longed for was for her body to join it in that eternal slumber. But no, they wanted to prolong her suffering, like the sadistic bastards her many sisters believed them to be. She couldn't believe that at one time, she was naive enough to deny her Diclonius heritage, and instead try to embrace the one thing she now hated more than anything else: humanity. She knew better now.

She didn't have a name, but she had a number: Number 935. She didn't have any parents, or at least that she could remember, but she had a family; her hundreds of Diclonius sisters who shared in her misery. And now, all she wanted was to lose the only thing left to her unknown name: her life. And it looked as though she would get her wish. The pressurized cannon that hung above the booth was armed and ready. It's laser sight was already pointed directly at her forehead.

"Starting at 800 joules," a voice said on the intercom. "Fire!" A large metal ball, nearly the size of the girl's head, shot out of the cannon. Her vectors instinctively appeared and lashed out at the incoming projectile, but it wasn't enough. The sphere was coming at her too fast, and it plowed right through her defenses. She did, however, manage to knock it off course, and it slammed into her shoulder.

She let out a stifled cry of pain as her bones splintered from impact. She could feel it as her arteries burst and her muscles bruised. The force of the blow was enough to break her skin, allowing her blood to spurt out onto the floor. The pain brought her to her knees, but her shackles held her back, so she simply hung there, whimpering pathetically.

"Hurts..." she whispered through clenched teeth. "It... hurts..."

"Refiring at 830 joules," the man on the intercom said. Number 935 could hear the sharp hiss of air as the cannon prepared another shot. So this was how it ended, then? She couldn't hope to deflect that much force, even if she could use her vectors. With her powers disabled by the pain in her shoulder, she couldn't hope to survive. She closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow. She didn't fear death, but she still didn't want to see it coming.

*Beep! Beep!*

Number 935's eyes snapped open as the sound of blaring sirens filled her ears. "Alert: Incoming aircraft!" a computerized feminine voice informed. "Alert: Incoming aircraft!" She watched as the many scientist in the observation booth began to frenzy, tripping over one another in an effort to respond to the alarm. The cannon began to power down, and her spirits plummeted along with it.

"Damn it..." she mumbled. "Why...?" A few tears dribbled down her blood-splattered face. "Why can't they just end it...?"

* * *

"Is it just me, or are they not happy to see us?" Raptor noted as the VTOL hovered several meters off the ground. A few dozen armed guards had already established a perimeter around the craft, weapons trained on it. "I figured something like this would happen," Section sighed.

"Anderson, tell them we have top-level authorization from Admiral Briggs AND the President."

"Roger that, Section," Anderson replied, conveying the message. "Alright, they're giving us clearance, but we can't bring weapons into the compound." Section nodded.

"Tell them we will disembark unarmed."

"Wait a second," Ranger growled. "I never agreed to that."

Section scowled at the one-eyed sniper. "I gave you an order, Ranger," Section retorted. "Do what I say, or I'll have you court-marshaled."

"Better court-marshaled than dead," he countered. Section opened his mouth to argue, but paused when someone grabbed his shoulder.

"Section," Karma said. "Just leave him. He's not worth it," she added, glancing at Ranger with a rancor look. He simply stared at her with his one good eye, the stormy gray orbs filled with indifference.

"Fine," Section ground out. He started towards the door, but stopped to glance back at Ranger once more. "But just remember; we're not done talking about this." The resistant soldier merely turned his gaze on his superior officer, mimicking the same callous expression he gave to Karma.

"Whatever," he grunted.

* * *

"You should've let me handle it," Section told Karma when they exited the VTOL. Raptor and Crosby were trailing behind them, taking in the sights. None of them had ever been to Nevada, but Section and Karma were too preoccupied to go sightseeing.

"I already told you, he's just not worth it," Karma explained. "You're stressed out enough as it is."

"I'm not stressed!" Section snapped. Karma raised her eyebrow questioningly. Even he wasn't convinced by his own words. "Look...this whole thing is just fucking insane. The sooner we kill Menendez, the sooner this'll all be over, and the sooner, the better."

As they finished their discussion, an officer approached them. He saluted Section. "Welcome to Edwards Air Force Base, Section. Please excuse the hostilities; it's unusual for us to get visitors, even from the SEALs."

Raptor, who was listening, eyes widened. "Wait a sec, Edwards Air Force Base? As in THE Edwards Air Force Base?!" The officer nodded slowly.

"Yes...I only recall there being one base by that name."

"Nice!" Raptor exclaimed. "So do we get to see the aliens?"

The officer sighed deeply. "Raptor, the rumors about Area 51 housing aliens is pure-myth, I assure you."

"I won't argue that," Section interrupted. "But you are housing something else: the Diclonius."

"...I had a feeling that's what you were here for. Follow me." The officer led them through a maze of planes and hangars until they reach a massive hangar at the far end of the compound. The number '51' was painted in white above the entrance. When they entered, the interior looked like any other modern aircraft hangar. Except for the locked door in the opposite wall, complete with retina scanner. The officer held his eye up to the scanner. It pinged in confirmation, and the door swung open, revealing the door to be several inches thick. Behind the door was a sterling, stainless-steel hallway.

Raptor whistled impressively. "Well I'll be damned..." he muttered, admiring the decor.

"This facility was created in response to the initial Diclonius outbreak in America. The first specimen to be captured in the US was found near Roswell, New Mexico on July 8th, 1947. It...resisted."

"So...the whole thing with UFOs and aliens was just a cover-up?" Crosby asked.

"In a sense, yes. The Diclonius are aliens, in their own right. They are a danger to the human race, and it has been our foremost priority to suppress the threat they pose." The officer walked into a lobby-like area, with several hallways branching off into different areas of the facility. He led them down the first hall on the right, and opened a door into an observation booth. Everyone but Section was shocked by what they saw on the other side.

A young girl, looking roughly 14-years old, was chained to a wall that was riddled with dents and caked with blood both old and recent. She was completely bare, save for the metal cuffs secured around her wrists. Her shoulder was badly damaged, but the wounds appeared to be sealing themselves before their very eyes.

"Yes, the Diclonius have a remarkable healing factor," the officer commented, noting their surprise. "It borders on regeneration; wounds that would take months to recover from, a Diclonius can heal in a few days. It's quite fascinating."

Raptor turned to the man and glared. "The fuck?! We don't give a shit about that! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The man looked at him, his face showing mild surprise. "Excuse me? Could you clarify that for me?" he asked calmly. Raptor walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar.

"You heard me! There's a girl bleeding to death in the next room, and you've got absolutely no problem with that?!"

"Girl? It's gender is largely irrelevant. The Diclonius are brutes; beasts who cannot be tamed, and we treat them as such. If you have a problem with that, you're obviously not cut out for the military."

Raptor growled at him, wanting nothing more than to beat him to a bloody pulp. "You...just...fuck you!" he yelled, pushing him away. He started towards a door to the far side of the booth. "I'm going in there."

"Agent Raptor, I strongly advise you not to go down there!" the officer warned. Raptor payed him no heed.

* * *

Number 935 lifted her head slightly as she heard the door to her cell open. Through the swirling colors in her vision, she could see someone approaching her, someone she didn't recognize. He didn't look like a scientist; perhaps he was a guard? It made little difference, though; he was human, and therefore, he meant her harm. She would've summoned forth her vectors and struck him down, but she was still delirious from pain and bloodloss.

The mysterious stranger knelt down in front of her, placing a hand on her chin and lifting her head so that her eyes met his. She was struck by how strange they were; deep, they were a deep, abysmal gray filled with...sadness? Pity? She couldn't tell, but it wasn't an emotion of contempt. Her guard began to lower. "Can you hear me?" he asked, his tone low and placid. "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

"...yes..." Number 935 croaked. Her voice was weak, as she was barely conscious. Her dull eyes were slowly draining of the life they had left in them.

"Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here..." he began, but not before being interrupted by the sound of the cell doors opening again. He turned around in time to see a squad of armed guards, led by a familiar officer, blocking the entrance. "Great, just fucking great..."

"Raptor, step away from the Diclonius. Refuse, and we will fire on both of you," the officer informed. Raptor snarled in annoyance, frustrated at being caught unarmed.

"Hey," Raptor whispered to the Diclonius girl. "Can you use your vectors?"

Number 935 coughed weakly before answering, "I...I'll try..." She closed her eyes and focused, but it was hard to maintain enough concentration to use her power.

"Last chance, Raptor," the officer warned. The guards brought their rifles to bear, aiming at Raptor and Number 935.

"Make it fast," Raptor hissed urgently. Number 935 continued to try with all her might, but it proved fruitless.

"Ready..." the officer started. "Aim. Fi...!"

*BOOM*

Everyone stumbled as a massive explosion rocked the entire facility. The wailing of sirens was everywhere. "Alert: Escape in progress! Room monitors 1-through-1028 not responding!" the computerized voice informed.

"Good god..." the officer breathed. "That...that's every area of the facility..."

Number 935 listened to the announcement with wide-eyes. "...free...?" she whispered hoarsely. "We're...free...?" The recent development gave her new strength, and she slowly got to her feet. Her every nerve was pulsing with joy; it was a sensation she had never felt before, but she knew in her mind what this happiness meant.

"The Queen has come for us..."

* * *

Josefina walked briskly across the air field, ignoring the dozens of men trying to shoot her. Her powerful vectors, which swarmed around her and formed an impenetrable barrier, deflected the bullets with ease. One could almost feel sorry for the people guarding Area 51; they didn't stand a chance against the unbridled fury of the Queen Diclonius.

"Humans," she addressed them, her voice low and dark. "You have shed the innocent blood of my kin. That is a sin...that cannot be forgiven!" As she shouted, the ground around her splintered from the energy she radiated. Her vectors, still invisible to the naked eye, directed that power outwards, creating a massive wave of rubble that surged towards the massing soldiers. To those watching, though, it looked as if the earth itself was splitting open in response to her declaration of vengeance, ready to swallow them whole. They all panicked and fled, but the disorganized crowd made very little progress before the swell of rock reached them.

Josefina watched with unpitying eyes as hundreds of soldiers were crushed and killed in an instant, all of them from her own doing. "I will slaughter you...every damn one of you..." she mumbled in a hollow tone, hardly recognizable from the normal Josefina.

Suddenly, a series of explosions went off around her, which her vectors barely managed to deflect. She hissed in pain as the entropy in her body began to rise under the strain of using her powers to this extent. She searched around for the source of the attack, but it didn't take very long; the VTOL hovering just behind her was a very likely suspect.

The craft fired another volley of missiles on Josefina, but this time, she was ready for it. She blocked the explosive projectiles with ease before turning her vectors on the VTOL itself. They punched through the armor plating like it was rice paper, and proceeded to rip the internal components to shreds. Nuts and bolts battered the inner workings of the aircraft, and the fuel line was severed, spraying gas at the super-heated parts.

The VTOL erupted into a massive fireball, killing the pilot and all its possible occupants. Josefina merely watched stoically at the smoldering wreck crashed onto the ground.

"ANDERSON!" someone suddenly shouted. Josefina spun around to see who was responsible for the outburst.

"So, at last we meet...Da-veed Mason."

* * *

A/N: Do to the length of this chapter, I decided to split it in two. Therefor, the new character I mentioned will not be introduced until next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

"So...finally we meet, Da-veed Mason."

Section glared at Josefina intently; if looks could kill, she'd be in the ground already. Of course, were the opposite true, Section would be nothing but a smoldering pile of ashes under the intensity of the Diclonius Queen's gaze. She radiated obvious power; not the sense of authority that Menendez had, but pure strength and confidence that seemed to make one feel weak-kneed in the presence of.

Section slowly nodded. "Looks like it..." he said, bringing his rifle to bear. He'd already taken the precaution of loading an AP magazine, but he had the feeling it wouldn't be enough in this case. The three girls at the Celerium Research Facility were able to deflect normal armor-piercing rounds with ease, not to mention that Josefina seemed far stronger than all of them combined.

Josefina smiled as Section aimed his rifle at her. "Finally...I will make you pay for what you've done to my daughters. Haiti...Karen...I will avenge you!" Vectors exploded from Josefina's spinal column, whipping through the air in wide, deadly sweeps. They sawed through everything they touched, and that might have included Section if Raptor didn't grab him by the back of the collar and tug him to the ground. He felt one of her vectors slice through the air above them.

"Hey, what are you...!?" Section started, but Raptor shoved him away before rolling in the opposite direction. Moments later, the ground between them exploded with rock and dust.

Raptor sprung to his feet and grabbed his rifle, putting the stock to his shoulder and opening up on Josefina. As Section had predicted, the bullets were easily deflected by her vectors, but Raptor didn't look very surprised by this. In fact, he was expecting it, but he didn't want to make any elaborate plans without making sure he couldn't just end it quick and easy.

Josefina slashed at him with her vectors, but Raptor skillfully ducked beneath them. Josefina was beginning to get frustrated. Who was this human? And how could he avoid her vectors so effectively? This was no ordinary man.

"Damn it," Raptor thought as he dodged another of Josefina's vectors. He had to figure out a way to end this quickly, but the task before him was far from simple. Diclonii were incredibly powerful opponents, even those that were young and untrained. Josefina, on the other hand, had years of experience, not to mention she was the Queen of all Diclonius; her power was unmatched, even among her own kind.

Josefina growled in annoyance. "Just DIE!" she screamed. Her many vectors struck out at Raptor at wild angles, but he was beginning to sense a pattern in her attacks. Even as frenzied as she was, she still kept to a particular tactic, and Raptor could see right through it. She was so focused on offense that she was leaving herself open. He could exploit that, but she was so intent on killing him that he would never get through. He raised his rifle and fired a several bursts at her, which she paused her assault in order to block. While she did so, Raptor activated his com

"Everyone on this frequency, listen! The target is vulnerable! Flank her and shoot her from behind!" he shouted, but as he looked around, no one seemed to be heeding his advice. "God fucking damn it..." he murmured, firing his rifle again. The volley was once again easily blocked by Josefina's vectors. She seemed to be equally frustrated, though it was more towards the fact that she couldn't seem to kill this one human soldier. She had killed hundreds of soldiers, from grunts to high-ranking officers. Why couldn't she just squash the pathetic bug, already?

Suddenly, Josefina screamed at the top of her lungs, crumbling to her knees and clutching a spot on her back. She could feel warm blood flowing from it, and the growing entropy building in her body only made the pain that much more excruciating. She had been shot.

Karma stood several meters behind Josefina, pistol raised and smoking. She pressed the com in her ear. "Got your message, Raptor," she said into it. The aforementioned man sighed in relief. They got her. Or so it seemed.

"GRRAAGGHH!" Josefina roared as her vectors suddenly expanded, crushing everything in their path. Karma watched in horror as her handgun started to disintegrate, followed by her hand, and then her entire arm. She screamed in agony, trying to pull her hand free from the invisible force that was destroying it, but to no avail.

Josefina pinched forwards, coughing in her hand. Eventually, a bit of blood worked its way through her fingers. She looked at it in shock before a surge of pain ripped through her body. The entropy in her body was reaching intolerable levels, and her body was starting to break down under its strain. The intense agony caused her vectors to recede, releasing Karma, who crumbled to the ground, unconscious. The Diclonius Queen, now at her limit, had no choice but to withdraw. She started to hobble away to safety, and to her great fortune, the devastation she caused kept anyone from pursuing her.

* * *

"Shit..." Raptor muttered as he examined the carnage that Josefina had left in her wake. The structural damage done to the entire base was immense; it was a wonder anything was still standing. Over half of the base's standing force of 10,000 men were dead, and many of the rest were badly wounded. He couldn't see a single aircraft that wasn't damaged beyond repair, including their own VTOL; they'd also lost Anderson and Ranger. All of the Diclonii captives that weren't killed in the escape were now gone and they would undoubtedly side with Menendez. This entire mission was a total disaster.

He activated his com. "This is Raptor, is anyone on this frequency?" At first, his question was only answered with static. He quickly began to lose heart, but then someone picked up.

"H-Hello...?" the person asked in a shaky voice. By the sound of their voice, Raptor could tell the person was female, and she also seemed to be in a lot of pain.

"What's your position?" he asked. The person hesitated noticeably.

"S-Server Room B...sublevel 3," she eventually responded.

"Alright, don't move. I'm coming to you."

* * *

The inside of the facility didn't fare much better than the exterior; the Diclonius had seen fit to ransack the place, taking essentials like food and water and killing any humans that got in their way. The amount of carnage they left behind was staggering, but Raptor didn't pay it much mind; he was used to such gory scenes. Frankly, a lot of them had it coming; when you treat people like animals, it's pretty much a given that they won't show you any mercy when the roles switch. He couldn't blame any of them for being bitter.

When he reached the Server Room, there was nobody there. Raptor was confused at first, but then he heard a fit of coughing. That's when he saw her; slumped against an overturned desk, next to the beheaded corpse of a Marine, was a girl. A Diclonius girl. Her face was pale and withered, besides the blood that was splattered on it. She had several bullet wounds in her chest, with one going right through her lung. In her hand was a bloodied com, presumably belonging to the dead soldier beside her.

"Help..." she croaked "...hurts..." Her eyelids fluttered, hardly able to stay open in her weakened state.

Raptor cautiously approached the girl. He wasn't sure if this was a set up, but he also couldn't just let this girl die on a pretense that she might double-cross him. "Don't worry, I'll fix you up," he told her as he knelt down and began examining her wounds. The girl nodded feebly before finally succumbing to the pain and losing consciousness.

Pulling out a field medical kit, Raptor got to work sterilizing and dressing her wounds. He carefully extracted the bullets from her chest, and when he did, her flesh immdiately began to knit itself back together. "Diclonius healing factor...forgot about that," Raptor muttered. Nevertheless, he made sure that her injuries were properly treated.

As he finished, he heard something behind him. He whipped around, drawing his pistol, only to have it smacked from his grip. Standing before him were two more Diclonii. One was glaring venomously at him, while the other stood back and stared, though she still looked ready to strike at any moment.

"Uh...can we talk about this?" he asked nervously.

* * *

Number 783 gazed at the human before her with pure, killer intent. After suffering for eight long years at the hands of man, her mind was akin to that of a rabid animal; killing everything without an ounce of discretion. Of course, she spared her sisters; she still had enough sense to know a fellow Diclonius when she saw one. As for the apes that held her captive, they weren't so lucky.

"The time for talk is over, ape," she growled at the man. "I am going to enjoy this..." Her vectors began to emerge, poised to strike. That's when Raptor acted.

It happened in a fraction of a second. Before Number 783 could react, the man lashed out, striking her in the windpipe. She stumbled back, coughing and trying to recover when the back of the man's fist connected with the side of her head. She fell to the ground, momentarily knocked unconscious. She recovered quickly from this, though, and was about to counterattack when a boot impacted with her gut. The force of the blow was enough to send her emaciated body flying a couple meters. She hit the ground hard.

Number 783 slowly rose to her feet again, holding the wall for support. She was in too much pain to use her vectors, and her vision was muddled with swirling colors. Her injuries, coupled with years of abuse and malnutrition, were starting to take their toll. She doubled over, retching as she began vomiting blood and bile. Her naked body was dripping with sweat, and her short violet hair was dirty and mangled. As she glared at Raptor, gruel dripping off her lips, he couldn't help but pity the girl. Rather than finishing her off, he reholstered his pistol and turned back to the badly injured Diclonius.

Number 783 was enraged by his ignoring her, and was about to charge at him, but she was stopped by her partner. That girl, whose scarlet locks obscured most of her face, merely shook her head.

"No fight." She turned to gaze at the man. "Look. He helping her," she observed in broken english. Number 783, albeit reluctantly, agreed to her statement; Raptor had done nothing to provoke them. In fact, it was the more other way around. Number 783 was beginning to realized he could have easily killed her in that scuffle, though she would never admit to such a thing. This was no ordinary human, not just in abilities, but in morals. Never before had either of them seen a man show any sort of compassion for one of their kind. He could be the key to humanity's redemption.

As Raptor finished tending to the girl's injuries, he stood up and turned to face the two Diclonii. "Now, let me explain..." he began, but the one girl raised her hand and silenced him.

"None need, we understand," she said. Despite her garbled speach, he could understand what she meant and nodded.

"Alright then. So what are your names?" he asked.

"None of your business, ape!" Number 783 snapped, then winced as her partner swiftly kicked her in the calf. "Agh, my shin!"

"I is Number X22, she is Number 783," Number 877 told him. She looked to the unconcious Diclonius whom Raptor had been treating. "That is Number 419."

"What's the 'X' for?" Raptor inquired.

"X, as in 'no', or 'fail'," Number 783 spoke, looking at him with a face that made it obvious she didn't know why she was adding to this conversation. "She is 'autistic', as you humans call it. Her mind works differently; she tends to mince words and think in circles. It also inhibits her vector abilities. She was to be disposed of tomorrow, just like all the other 'X's."

"I see. My name in Don Whitley, but most people call me by my code name, Raptor."

"Nice meet you, Don," X22 replied, and she seemed to be speaking genuinely. Raptor was starting to notice that, oddly enough, no matter what the mood of the situation, the autistic Diclonius sounded slightly happy.

"Tell me something, human," Number 783 said. "Why do you care about us horned folk? Don't you hate us? Aren't we a plague, only worthy of being eradicated?" Her questions were tinted with bitterness.

Raptor sighed heavily and reached into his pocket. 783 tensed up until she saw what it was: a billfold. He reached inside of it and extracted a picture from within. It was of Raptor as a younger man and a little girl, maybe eight years old, riding atop his shoulders. The girl wore a frilly white dress, which made her cherry-colored hair and red eyes much more apparent. Growing from her head were two small, white horns with large grooves going down their center, giving them the appearance of ears.

"Eliza," Raptor said. "My little girl. I haven't seen her in years; ever since my brother dragged me off to join the military with him, I've only ever gotten to see her once. We both got some leave-time, and I decided to pay her a visit. That's when this picture was taken. But that...was a mistake." And he told them the story...


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I am SO sorry for not updating this in so long. Let me just say that writer's block can be a real bitch sometimes.

* * *

**Three years prior...**

"Daddy!" A young Eliza cried as she ran down the lane and leaped into her father's arms. Don Whitley lifted his daughter off the ground as he gave her a strong embrace.

"I'm glad to see you again, Liz," he told her, using her nickname affectionately after gently setting her down. It'd been at least a year since he left Eliza to live with his sister-in-law, Eloise. His wife, Maria, had died due to complications with Eliza's birth four years ago, and Eloise was the only person who offered, or was even willing, to watch over Eliza while Don was away. He suspected it had something to do with her 'abnormalities', but so far, no one had said anything about it.

"Me too, Daddy!" she told him, smiling ecstatically. Don chuckled and gently patted her right horn. The sensitive touch calmed her, but did nothing to dampen her spirits.

"Hey there, kiddo," a voice from behind Don said. He glanced behind him to see his older brother, Roe Whitley, standing above the two. The man was still wearing his naval uniform, unlike Don, who had changed into his casual attire. Several medals adorned his chest, many of them rewards for marksmanship. But perhaps the most perplexing thing about his appearance was his face; even though he was glad to be back home, his two gray eyes held no emotions whatsoever, nor any other part of him.

"Hi, Uncle Roe!" Eliza exclaimed with much enthusiasm. She didn't seem to mind her uncle's stoicism.

"Welcome home, you two," a woman's voice greeted. Don looked up to see his sister-in-law, Eloise. She was a young woman with bright-blonde hair and an equally sunny smile. She was wearing an old apron, covered in stains and pastry but otherwise obviously well tended. She operated a bakery out of her house, so she would almost always be covered in flour or powered sugar whenever they came. Eliza was often in the same boat, since she loved to baked near as much as her aunt. Even now, as Don looked at his daughter, he could tell that she had just come out of the kitchen.

"Glad to be back, Eloise," he said, standing up and hugging the woman, who was quick to return to gesture. "What's it been? A year?"

"More like a year and a half," Eloise corrected as she separated from him. "You should visit more often."

"I know, I know. I wish I could, but duty calls, right?" Eloise nodded in understanding.

"In any case," she started. "Eliza's been dying to see you ever since you wrote home about getting some leave time. Why don't you take her to the zoo? Heaven knows how many times she's asked me to take her there."

"Sure, I can do that."

* * *

"Wow! So big!" Eliza gawked as she watched an elephant from the edge of its pen. The said elephant trumpeted, making Eliza squeal with delight. Don laughed as he watched his daughter's antics.

"Sure is, honey," she said in agreement, patting her head gently. Instead of her horns, he felt the rough material of a baseball cap; although Eliza didn't mind going out in public without covering her horns, Don and Eloise both had concerns about how other people would see her. So, they decided to give her an over-large Yankee's hat in order to hide her secret extremities. The girl wasn't too fond of the accessory, complaining that it messed up her hair and rubbed against her horns irritably, but she continued to wear it as to please her parental figures.

"Aw, that's so cute," a nearby woman commented. She was with her own family, consisting of a burly man Don assumed was her husband, and a young boy near Eliza's age.

"What do you say, Liz?" Don asked his daughter. Eliza paused in thought before answering.

"Thank you, ma'am," she replied politely. Don chuckled; it seemed Eloise had passed on her gift of etiquette to Eliza.

"Oh, and polite, too!" the woman said, looking genuinely surprised. "Your daughter is such a dear!" she told Don.

"Ah, now you're just making me blush!" Don joked, rubbing the back of his head. "I appreciate the compliment."

While the adults were talking, Eliza approached the boy. "Hello, I'm Eliza. What's your name?" she asked, smiling brightly.

"Connor," the boy muttered, giving her a look that obviously said 'buzz off'. Eliza didn't seem get the hint, or she might've just ignored it. She reached out and took his hand, shaking it vigorously.

"Nice to meet you!" she told him, enthusiastic as ever.

Connor blinked. "Are you touched in the head or something?" he asked bluntly. Eliza seemed put off by the question.

"No, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You reek of bubbliness." Eliza frowned at him.

"That's not very nice..." she began, but Connor cut her off.

"It wasn't supposed to be," he deadpanned. Eliza started to pout and turned to her father.

"Daddy!" Eliza whined. She pointed her finger at Connor. "He's mean!"

Don glanced in the direction of the two children and sighed. "If he's being mean, just ignore him," he instructed. Eliza took his advice with a nod and turned her back on Connor, folding her arms over her chest and making an overexaggerated expression of disdain.

Connor's mother, who's name was apparently Cindy, chuckled as she watched the scene. "You're girl is certainly lively. I think she'd do Connor some good, if he wasn't such a butt around girls."

Don nodded in agreement. "And vice versa, if Eliza wasn't so headstrong. In any case, it was nice chatting with you, but we should be going."

"Well, it was nice meeting you," Cindy told him before walking off with the rest of her family.

* * *

When Don and Eliza finally returned home, it was very late. The stars were out, and the moon was full and bright in the night sky. "Jeez, I didn't think we'd be out this long. It's probably hours past your bedtime," Don said.

Eliza pouted. "It's not THAT late, daddy!" She clutched his pants leg and gave him huge puppy-dog eyes. "Pwease let me stay up," she pleaded. Don laughed heartily before kneeling down and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"We'll see, honey. It's your Aunt Eloise's call," he told her. Eliza let out a disappointed sigh, but didn't push the issue. As the pair approached the front door, they could hear the start of a very intense argument inside.

"How can you be leaving already?! You just got here!" Eloise shouted.

"I got a phone call two hours ago; the Menendez case has flared up again. HQ has given the order that all personnel must return to base immediately," Roe told her. "It's out of my hands, Eloise. I want some time away from war as much as anyone, but this isn't about what we want. We're obligated to do this, regardless of personal issues."

"And what about your niece? She hasn't seen you in over a year. This is the first time she's spoken to her own _father_ in months! Does that matter?"

"No, it doesn't. Not to HQ, anyway. I told you, no amount of complaining is going to change my mind; once Don and Eliza return, we're leaving. End of discussion."

Don heard Eloise groan irritably and storm off. He was deep in thought; he hadn't even spent an entire day with his daughter, and he was going to be sent to the far-flung end of no where for who knows how long? It wasn't fair! But, like Roe had said, it wasn't about what was fair, it was about duty. He had to leave, or else he'd be branded a deserter, and that would absolutely demolish his record; he'd never get a decent job anywhere. As much as he didn't want to go, it would be far worse if he stayed.

"What's wrong, daddy?" Eliza asked, oblivious to what her father had just overheard. Don glanced down at the girl and gave her a sad smile.

"Nothing to worry about, Liz," he lied. It was obvious that wasn't the case, but Eliza was too young and naive to see that. Instead, she grinned back at him, and her smile felt like a knife through his heart. Slowly, Don opened the door.

Roe was standing in the foyer, exactly as Eloise had left him. He faced the door, as though he had been expecting Don to walk in at that particular moment. "You're late," he stated plainly.

Don looked at the floor. "Yeah...sorry about that..." he muttered. Roe simply nodded and started walking towards the door.

"Let's go," Roe said as he passed. "We're returning to base."

"W-Wait! Daddy can't go!" Eliza cried. She started after her uncle, but stopped when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned to Don, who was holding her back. "Daddy, you can't go yet!" she told him, tears streaming down her face. Don frowned and sighed, not saying anything.

"He's coming with me," Roe told her. "Say your goodbyes."

"Roman..." Don started. "...I...I'm staying." Roe stopped in his tracks.

"...what?" he asked, the slightest hint of tension in his voice.

"I'm staying...for a while longer," Don repeated. "I just can't leave yet; Eliza's been waiting for this day for a long time, I can't walk out on her now. I just need a day, two at the most, then I'll go to HQ and let them have their way with me."

It happened in a split-second. In a motion so fast he never had a chance to react, Don was knocked back off his feet by a powerful roundhouse. He hit the ground hard, the wind was knocked out of him.

"Daddy!" Eliza cried, running to her father's side. Don groaned as he sat up, holding his bruised ribs.

"What the _fuck_ was that for!?" Don shouted. Normally, he would never use that kind of language around his daughter, but he was so mad that it didn't occur to him just then.

"What do you think?" Roe asked, his tone cold. "Do you think I like having to get torn away from my family everytime the government needs us? Do you think that you're the only one who's felt that way? I don't like it any more than you do; no one does. But this isn't about what we like; it's about what's RIGHT." He walked up to his downed brother and picked him up by the collar. He lifted the man off the ground with a single hand, as if he were only a paperweight. "We both have a duty to our country. I won't let you abandon that."

Eliza watched as her father and uncle fought, paralyzed with fear. She was terrified, heartbroken, and most of all...angry. She was ANGRY at Roe, who would dare to hurt her father. No, anger couldn't describe the feeling that was beginning to overtake her. It was like a wildfire, surging through her vein. She was overwhelmed by her primal instincts, the thing that drives all creatures to do the unthinkable in order to survive. She saw that she had only one goal: destroy that man.

"Stop," she said in a level voice. "Hurting." Her voice became higher, and as it did, the room began to tremble. A powerful aura emanated from her, pulsating dangerously. "DADDY!" With that, Eliza's formerly-dormant vectors erupted from her spinal column. Without a moment's hesitation, she struck out at Roe in rage with her vectors.

She would regret that decision for the rest of her short life.

Roe, not expecting to be attacked by his niece, never stood a chance against the savage power that Eliza aimed at him. He cried out in pain as the first vectors lashed across his face. The cut was shallow, but it went straight through his right eye, utterly destroying it. Everything on his right side was engulfed in an impenetrable crimson haze. The next vector cut across his bicep, severing his left arm. After that, the attacks became much more consistent; vector after vector slashed at him, and though the attacks were terribly aimed, the sheer number of them quickly overwhelmed him.

Don watched in shock as his brother was slain by an invisible force. He was slashed with the blood of his sibling. "Wha..." he began before being interrupted by a shriek of horror.

"Oh my god!" Eloise screamed as she came to investigate the ruckus and discovered the mangled form of Roe. "What have you DONE?!" She ran over to Eliza, wrapping her arms around the girl in a protective manner. Obviously, she got the wrong impression upon seeing Don covered in Roe's blood, along with the simple fact that a little girl could never do something like that. "Get out!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. 'Now!"

"Auntie!" Eliza protested, but Eloise payed her no heed. She struggled to escape the woman's embrace, but Eliza's body was much too weak to do so. Her abilities, on the other hand, were more than enough to break her free. Without thinking, Eliza smashed her vectors into Eloise's chest, attempting to push her away. Unfortunately, she didn't realize just how powerful she had become; the moment the corporeal hands touched Eloise, her entire chest was blasted open by the unstable oscillating of the vectors. She was dead before she even realized what hit her. Blood drenched the Diclonius girl, staining her white dress with liquid crimson.

Eliza looked over the gory scene she had created, struck silent with realization of what she had just wrought. "Uh-Uncle..." she whimpered. She received no reply. "Ah-Auntie?" Again no one answered. Tears began to flood from her eyes as she dropped to her knees and screamed. What she was screaming at, the world would never know; perhaps she was screaming at herself, or maybe just the unfairness of fate. Either way, she screamed until her throat became raw and she had no tears left to shed. Slowly, she turned to face Don.

"D-Daddy..." she sniffled before glomping onto his leg, her body convulsing with non-existent cries. Don slowly knelt down and put a single arm around his daughter.

"Shh, shh. It's...alright honey. Daddy's going to make everything better." Eliza's face was buried into his shirt, and if she hadn't been blinded by her sadness, she might've noticed what he did with his other hand.

"Y-You will?"

"Yeah."

*BANG*

Eliza's mind barely managed to register the gunshot before it was pierced by lead. She fell limply to the floor, her face forever frozen in an expression of disbelief. Don replaced his pistol in its holster, forlornly staring at his daughter's corpse. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

A/N: I originally planned to add the next scene where the two girls react to Don's story, but since it's been so long since the last update, I decided to push that into the next chapter. Also, I'll say it now that Roe is NOT dead. It sounds obvious, I know, but I can just imagine the reviews I'd get for the next week about it if I didn't plainly point that out.


	17. Chapter 17

Number 783 and X22 stared at Don, taking in what he told them. "Why...?" Number 783 began, but Don answered her question before she could finish asking it.

"I didn't know. I didn't know what she was or the powers she had. All I knew...was that my little girl murdered two people, right in front of me. I...I couldn't ignore that, even for my own daughter's sake. I had to put a stop to it." He paused, then added, "although...it seems Roe wasn't quite as dead as he looked. Not that it matters now..."

"A few months after I returned to base, we started getting reports of horned girls with psychic abilities. That's when I started to realize what was really happening. Eliza was one of those girls, and she killed because she didn't know any better. She just did what she thought was right...and I killed her for it." Don sighed. "I swore then that I would do whatever I could to set things right...and to make sure no one else did what I did out of ignorance."

He turned to Number 783 and spoke to her directly, saying, "I'm sorry I had to hit you so hard, but if you killed me, then everything I've done would be for nothing. I swear, I'll make it up to you; I'll get the Diclonius the rights they deserve, or die trying."

The two Diclonius girls listened to him speak, and when he finished, they couldn't help but be amazed. This human seemed to be speaking from the heart; he truly did care about them and their kind. Hesitantly, Number 783 spoke, "perhaps...I was wrong about you, human. If what you say is true, then...I will assist you." Her face hardened. "But if you're lying, I swear I'll peel your skin off and strangle you with it. Got it?" Don gave her a salute.

"Yes, ma'am," he told her. 783 blinked, confused, before realization hit her and she broke out in a fit of giggles. Don smirked. "Ha! I finally got you to smile! Points for me!"

X22, laughing as well, spoke as well. "I help, too. Is it okay?" she asked. Don glanced at her and nodded.

"Sure; the more the merrier," he replied. It was then that he heard the sound of moaning. He turned in the direction of the sound, and saw that Number 419 was beginning to come around.

* * *

Number 419 groaned in pain as consciousness returned to her. She was surprised to find that she was still alive; she could've sworn that she felt her life snuff out. Apparently not. She wasn't sure whether or not to be grateful of the fact that she still lived; if it meant going back to being a living test tube, then she may have well've died.

As her eyes opened, everything was so blurred that she couldn't make out much. From the buzzing in her forehead, she could tell that there were two Diclonii in the room with her. However, as her vision began to clear, she saw that there were three people standing over her. That's when she remembered the human that came to her aid. That must be why she was still alive.

"Ugh...783? X22?" she asked groggily as the fog in her mind cleared enough for her to recognize the faces before her. The two girls nodded.

"Yeah, we're here," Number 783 told her.

"Good morning!" X22 remarked cheerfully. 419 smiled weakly; X22 was always light-hearted, even in the worst scenarios. She then turned her gaze to the human man.

"...what is your name, human?" she asked slowly. Despite referring to him as 'human', her voice and expression gave no signs of malice or distrust. He had saved her life, after all.

"Just call me Don," the man, Don, replied. She nodded to him.

"...thank you, Don...I owe you my life..." she told him. She felt tears forming in her eyes, but she wasn't sure whether it was because she was indebted to a human, or that this human actually cared enough to save her life. Either way, she felt deeply touched.

Don shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. Horned or human, I'm not going to let someone die on my watch." And that's what did it; after being treated with such kindness and generosity, 419 couldn't help but start crying. Her two sisters were instantly at her side, comforting her and saying kind words of encouragement. But she wasn't sad; quite the contrary. She was overjoyed to be alive, for she had lived to see change; a human with empathy towards her kind. If there was one such man, there had to be more, right? There was hope that she and her sisters could one day live free.

Don smiled slightly as he watched the touching scene. Of course, there was one small problem...

"Not to...ruin the mood, but could you three _please_ put some clothes on?"

* * *

Outside the facility, Section and Crosby assisted in combing through the ruins of the air base. Less than a hundred men were in any condition to walk, let alone search for survivors, so they needed all the help they could get. Not that they were really getting anywhere; it seemed as though no one was left alive. Josefina had carved a massive path through the airfield, and she had sowed destruction as she went.

"What a damn mess..." Crosby muttered as he and Section returned to the Hanger 51. When they arrived, they were met with a bizarre spectacle: every man who could still pull a trigger were aiming their guns at a small group of three Diclonii, headed by none other than Raptor. The girls were all draped in robes made of old tarps that, while tarnished and filthy, were much better than any clothing they'd worn before. Which was to say, none.

"More apes with peashooters...lovely," one of the girls muttered, earning her rather pointed looks from her companions. She stayed silent after that.

As Section and Crosby came closer, Raptor spotted them and turned in their direction. "Hey, Section! I've got some people you might want to meet."

* * *

Meanwhile, out on the plains of the Mojave desert, hundreds upon hundreds of Diclonii congregated. Not only the ones from Area 51, but from all over the state. In a sense, it was a huge family reunion, but they weren't just a family; they were an army. Over a thousand Diclonii had come, and together they were a force capable of conquering nations. Josefina smiled as she watched her many daughters. The Diclonii who had lived outside the facility were sharing the wonders of the outside world to their formerly-incarcerated kin, and those said girls were loving every bit of it.

Josefina reached out with her conscious, joining minds with all of the Silpelits. "Greetings to all of you, my children," she addressed. The crowd instantly became silent and turned to face their Queen. Despite the disquiet that had fallen upon them, their thoughts were not quite as peaceful. Feelings or pain, grief, and rage boiled inside the liberated Diclonii. Some of the free Diclonii tried to quell their sisters' anger, but most agreed that their feelings were justified. Overall, as happy as they outwardly appeared, all of them possessed tormented souls, scarred without any hope of fully-healing. The knowledge of their suffering made Josefina want to weep, but she stayed strong.

"We stand together as one, as it should be. Soon, we will fight as one, against the horrible people who caused us pain." Her speech was met with mental roars of approval across the Diclonius hive mind. Shouts of 'kill the humans!' and 'avenge our sisters!' and 'all hail the Queen!' rippled across the connection. Josefina raised her hand, silencing all of them. "I understand your anger, but humanity is not the true enemy. Many humans are cruel; I know that as well as any of you...but not all are evil. If we wipe them out...how are we any different from the ones who hurt us?" Many of the Diclonii nodded in agreement, though some of them did so quite grudgingly. "There are good humans in the world, and I have met one. He has a kind, but damaged soul, like many of us, and he understands our pain. He promised to aid us in forging peace between us and mankind."

"We are on the precipice of war. I will not lie; some of you will not live to see the peace we fight for. But know that if you fall, your sacrafice will not be in vain, and that whereever you may go, your family goes with you." As Josefina ended her speech, everyone cheered out loud. None of them were afraid to die if it meant peace for the future. They would fight to the end for such a thing

Josefina smiled, and tears dripped down her cheeks as she watched them. Slowly, she tilted her head back to look at the cloudless sky. "Raul...soon, we will have our new world.


	18. Chapter 18

"No!" Briggs shouted. "Just...NO!"

Raptor, Section and Crosby stood before the Admiral. Standing beside each of them were Numbers 419, 783, and X22, respectively. The girls were all dressed in much nicer apparel than they had prior to arriving on the Obama; the military Red Cross team that gave them a ride had plenty of clothes to spare. Discounting their unique physical featrues, they looked like ordinary school kids. Even their eyes, normally dull with misery, were now filled with curiousity and life. They'd never seen a ship this big before, or ships in general for that matter. Hell, this was the first time any of them had even seen the ocean.

Briggs continued. "Do you honestly think these fucking freaks of nature are going to help us? 99% of their kind are with that cocksucker Menendez, trying to fuck us over, and you think that these three are willingly going to join our side? It's a set-up!" Number 783 glared at the man, but held her tongue, much to her displeasure. She created a mental link between her two sisters in order to speak in private.

"Am I the only one who wants to tear this noisy primate's tongue out?" she asked.

"Nope," Number 419 replied. "But we promised Don that we'd behave." Number 783 let out a mental groan, but didn't push the issue.

"Sir, that fact that they're here and haven't tried to kill us even once proves that they're not with Menendez," Section countered. "If they were on his side, why wouldn't they try to cripple the US naval fleet by killing its commander and crippling its flagship?"

The Admiral groaned. As much as he hated to admit it, Section had a good point. "If we let them wander around the ship, they could get into classified information. What's stopping them from leaking intel?"

"...the fact that they're in the middle of the ocean with absolutely no idea of how to even send a text message." Raptor deadpanned.

"Do you think we should tell them about our empathetic links?" Number 783 asked.

"Maybe later. Besides, he's still right; we're in the middle of the nowhere. I don't think we could communicate with anyone but ourselves from here," Number 419 explained. And it was true; they were dozens of miles from any Diclonii who they could talk to. They couldn't even sense anyone other than themselves at the moment.

Briggs thought it over some more. His men were making a lot of sense, and these girls certainly didn't look like they were itching to rip someone's head off. Having Diclonius allies, even if there were only three of them, would be a major asset. But was it worth the risk? "Alright, fine," Briggs said, caving in. "They can stay. But I swear, if they step out of line once, they're going straight to the firing squad. Do I make myself clear?"

The three soldiers saluted their CO. "Yes, sir!"

"No worry, we be good!" X22 proclaimed cheerfully. Briggs nodded to her.

"See to it that you are, girl." With that, they left. When they were gone, Briggs slumped back in his seat, moaning in exaustion. "Again, I quote: Complete, undistilled bullshit. It's everywhere, and we're in the fucking center of it."  
-

Josefina smiled as she saw the motel on the horizon. After a full day of walking, she and her new entourage had finally returned. Even among the hundreds of presenses she was sensing, she could still recognize eight in particular. They were of her daughters, as well as her closest friends. And with them, she knew she would find her beloved brother, Raul.

As they began to approach the motel, residents started to notice the huge crowd of horned girls. Most of the Diclonii tensed at the sight of humans, but Josefina quickly placated them. The last thing she needed was for a massacre to occur.

Suddenly, Josefina felt a certain Diclonius link minds with her. "Josefina," Alexis greeted in the usual monotonous drawl. "You have returned...and you brought an army."

"I liberated a facility nearby; the humans call it 'Area 51'. Also, many of our free kin sensed the escape and joined us," Josefina explained.

"So it seems. We are growing ever stronger; soon we will acheive our goal."

"Yes...soon," Josefina thought. The link between them was severed, and Josefina continued to march towards the motel

Alexis watched from the window as the massive group grew nearer. Despite the relief and happiness this situation should entail, Alexis felt nothing. Underneath her pale skin, she was little more than a machine inside, cold, calculating and void of emotion. It was exactly what she had been made for: a weapon, whose sole purpose is to kill, maim, and destroy. Unfortunately for the scientist who created her, they didn't realize until it was too late that they made something they couldn't control. They learned that the hard way.

Having been born a Diclonius, she'd never been human. But after the horrors that had been inflicted on her body, she could hardly be considered Diclonius anymore, either. She was an abomination; a monster without a conscious.

She was...the ultimate Diclonius.  
-

"So...now that you three are military, I suppose we'll have to give you your codenames," Crosby said. The group of six were sitting around the barracks aboard the Obama. The three Diclonii were all sitting together on a single cot, while Raptor, Section, and Crosby all sat at different locations nearby.

"Ah, forget codenames; they're already got that," Raptor stated. "What they need are real names."

419 cocked her head questioningly. "Real names?" she inquired. Raptor nodded.

"Yep, you don't expect us to call you 'Number 419' forever, do you? No, I think the three of you deserve that much, at least. You are putting your lives on the line, same as us." Raptor looked at Number 419. "So what do you want your name to be?" At the question, she became very quiet. She didn't know what she wanted to be called. She wasn't even sure what qualified as a name. Raptor, sensing her distress, added, "if you want, I could pick something for you."

She calmed herself and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that..." she whispered softly.

"Alright...how about...Anne?" he asked.

"Anne..." 419 said under her breath, sounding out the word. "...I like that name..." Soon after that, Crosby and Section decided upon a name for both 783 and X22.

"Mila?" Number 783 asked Section. He nodded.

"I think it suits you."

"I...is Katyusha?" X22 asked Crosby, sounding the word out slowly, since it was a little too long for her to say all at once.

"Well...maybe just Kat, for short."  
-

That's the end of the Area 51 arc, now JSOC is going after Menendez. With the aid of their (now-named) Diclonii allies. Will they be enough to turn the tide? Or will Menendez just turn the tables on them again?


	19. Chapter 19

Raptor stood at the edge of the deck of the Obama, staring out over the open ocean. Standing beside him was Anne, formerly Silpelit Number 419. Over the past week, the team had bonded with their new non-human companions. Since their numbers had leapt from four to six, they devised a buddy-system which put them in pairs of two, a human and a Diclonius. That way, each of the Diclonii had someone to keep an eye on them and help guide them in the ways of human society. It would also be used during missions; each soldier would always be backed-up by their Diclonius-buddy, and vice-versa. It was a simple and effective system.

Anne and Raptor had been paired together, as per the Diclonius' request. She felt especially drawn towards the man who had saved her life, and Don was more than happy to have her. On the other hand, Kat had taken an instant liking to Crosby (which, in hindsight, wasn't all that remarkable, since the girl seemed to like everyone), and so they ended up a pair. That left Mila with Section, the former being less than enthusiastic about the idea. She had come to terms with the fact that not all humans were bastards, but she had yet to see anything that made Section part of that small minority.

"You know..." Anne started, her eyes still focused on the water. "This is the first time I've had the chance to really appreciate how beautiful the ocean is..." Don nodded in agreement.

"I hear ya'," he said in return. "It feels like it's been years since I just looked and listened. At times like this, it's nice to appreciate the small things." He smiled a little. "I think we're more alike than most people think. Humans and Diclonii...we're not that different from each other."

Anne looked at him, a little shocked. "I never really thought of it that way before. I always just...assumed..." she trailed off, feeling somewhat ashamed.

"That humans are all alike, and we all hate Diclonius?" Don offered. Anne nodded slowly.

"I...I'm sorry," she apologized. "I should've known, but I..." She paused when Don knelt down to her level and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about. Honestly, after everything you've been through, I'd be more concerned if you didn't hate us." Upon hearing this, Anne's eyes began to shimmer and wobble dangerously; she looked like she was about to cry. Sensing this, Don drew her into a hug, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. As he predicted, Anne soon began sobbing, her tears staining his shirt.

"I'm sorry..." Anne sniffed. "I shouldn't cry...I'm supposed to be the mature one...*hic*...but I'm just a big cry-baby..." Don patted her back, comforting her.

"Hey, you're just a kid still; you shouldn't have to take so much responsibility. The fact that you do shows just how mature you really are," he assured her. "There's nothing wrong with just letting it all out every once in and a while."

After a few more heartfelt moments, man and Diclonius separated, looking at each other with gentle smiles. Don couldn't help but marvel at what a remarkable little girl Anne was.

Of course, what happens next completely ruined that impression.

Without warning, Anne reached in and kissed him, full on the lips. His eyes widened and he stumbled backwards, sputtering and staring at her bewilderedly. "What the fuck...?! Wh-What'cha do that for?!" Anne just stared at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently, obviously not understanding the weight of her actions. "You didn't like it?"

"Of course not! I'm not a pedophile, you little gerbil!"

"...what's a pedophile?" Hearing this, Don slapped his face with his palm.

"You've got a lot to learn, kid..."  
-

Kat sat on a naval cot, staring at Crosby's back intently as he cleaned his pistol. Her gaze was so intense that he could almost feel her eyes boring holes right through him. Eventually, he simply couldn't take it anymore, so he turned to face her. "Do you have anything better to do besides stare at me all day?"

"Nope," she answered, her face blank but somehow still managing to sound cheerful at the same time. "Well...I could stare at wall, but it not as interesting." Crosby sighed, put down his pistol and leaned forwards, his arms resting on his knees.

"Alright, do you want to...talk about anything? Got any big questions?" Crosby asked, to which Kat shook her head.

"Nope."

"Any small questions?"

"Nuh uh."

"Any...lingering issues?"

"About what?"

"Well, y'know, Area 51 and all the shit that went down there." At the mention of Area 51, Kat suddenly became quiet. Her head drooped forwards, hiding her face behind her crimson bangs. "Kat? You okay, kid?" Crosby asked, reaching out to her. Before he could, however, her head snapped back up, and that, combined with what he saw on her face, startled him into withdrawing.

Kat's eyes were void of emotion; wide-open and lifeless as a corpse. She stared right at Crosby, her eyes never moving or even blinking. "Slab of cold steel. Tethers to hold down. Young girl of four, kicking and screaming. Tries to escape; she knows her fate. Straps tighten, pin her to the cold table. Bottles and cases litter the room. The white man picks one. Name of Tropane. A needle enters her vein. The plunger is pushed, and she screams. She coughs, blood soaks her lips. The pain shakes her, makes her weep and beg until she moves no more. The light fades from her eyes as she gasps her last breath. The white man turns and looks at me. I am next." As she finished, Kat blinked twice, and her eyes returned to normal. Tears began to dribble down her cheeks, and then she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Crosby stared at her, stunned. Normally, he'd try to calm the kid down, but what just happened was beyond bizarre. Ever since he met Kat, she'd appeared as something of a ditz, stumbling over words and such. Now, all of a sudden, she has a single moment of clarity, which she spends telling him a morbid flashback. "What was that all about?' he asked softly.

Instead of answering, Kat spent the next several minutes weeping. When she finally collected herself enough, she lifted her head to look into his eyes. Her face was red and puffy from her tears. "B-Bad d-d-dream..." Crosby looked at her questioningly.

"Dream? But you're awake," he pointed out. Kat simply shook her head.

"Like a dream. I see, I feel...everything. So real..."

"Okay..." Crosby said, not fully understanding, but going along anyway. "What was that dream about, exactly?" When he mentioned the event, Kat's eyes filled with tears once again.

"X21...she died...so much pain...they going to kill me next...then alarms went off...and I felt something...in my head." Her expression suddenly turned dreamy and she looked up into Crosby's eyes, not blinking.

"Here we go again..." Crosby thought.

"A spark runs through my mind. A circuit is made, connecting us all. We think as one; we live as one; we fight as one. The will to stand and fight fills me. My mind lashes out at the man in white, and he disappears in a mist of red. There is joy all around me. The Queen has come; we are free." With that final statement, Kat closed her eyes, opening them a moment later, back to their normal crimson selves. Instead of breaking down into tears, like the last time, she looked at Crosby with a warm smile.

"...good dream?" Crosby guessed, and Kat nodded.

"Yes," she answered. "Very good dream."

"...and you killed someone in it." Kat's eyes widened in horror as she shook her head.

"No! I kill bad people. I am not bad!" she cried desperately. Crosby put his hands out between them, trying to calm her down.

"I didn't say that! All I meant was..."

"I'M NOT BAD!" Kat screamed. She stood up and, using her vectors to open the door, ran off.

"...well, shit..." Crosby mumbled.  
-

"So..." David began. He was sitting on a bench in the mess hall, tray laid out before him. Past the ham sandwich and the bottle of water he could see Mila sitting across from him. Her own meal consisted of a bowl of broth and water. So far, she has touched neither, opting instead to glare at them suspiciously. "You're...not hungry, then?"

She gave him a contemptuous look. "Why do you humans put water in a bowl and mix it with dirt if you're just going to give me a bottle of regular water with it? I mean, it still has little white worms in it, for fuck's sake. Is this what you actually eat, or did you make it especially for me?" she asked.

David raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." She turned her attention to David's meal. "I want yours."

"Eh?" But before David could protest, his sandwich levitated into the air, hovered over to Mila's tray, and took the place of her soup bowl, which she place on David's tray. She then picked the sandwich up with her normal hands and took a bite out of it.

"...alright then," David said, knowing that complaining with Mila was rather pointless. It was the reason he gave her that name in the first place; the name Mila means 'emulating', which was rather fitting. In fact, all of their names were based off of their personalities. Don came up with the name Anne for his partner because it meant 'grace', which is fitting, since she's the most reasonable and least hostile of the three. Crosby, on the other hand, chose the name Katyusha. Katyusha means 'pure', which suited her innocent and ditzful outlook.

There's a lot of character in just one's name.

Sorry for the delay, folks. I really am. Especially when all I have to show for my time and effort is a lame filler. Unfortunately, I've got a lot of things going on at once, but through it all, I've put a lot of thought into where to go from here, so rest assured that the next chapter will be back on track and better than ever.


End file.
